Florida’s young people are already facing a reproductive health access and sexual education crisis. Now, out-of-touch lawmakers in the state legislature are attempting to add even more extreme barriers for young people to access health care.
Tell your State House Representative and State Senator to keep kids safe and OPPOSE House Bill 1505.
If HB 1505 passes, it will create immense confusion and unnecessary interference with the doctor patient relationship. A minor will be unable to be prescribed birth control, receive treatment for an STI, or access outpatient mental health crisis services if a parent does not consent. This is extremely dangerous: untreated STIs can lead to cancer, reduced motor functions, infertility, and even death.
Ideally, a young person making health care decisions can seek the advice of a parent in their lives, and most do. But if for whatever reason a young person cannot go to a parent, they should be able to turn to another trusted adult to get the health care and information they need.
A similar law in Idaho caused so much confusion that it became unclear whether schools were able to provide a bandage to a student without written parental consent. Help prevent this bill from ever becoming law by urging lawmakers to oppose it in its upcoming final vote.
This bill is most dangerous for young people experiencing abuse. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys in the U.S. are estimated to experience childhood sexual abuse. In 2022, 76% of children who were abused experienced it at the hands of a parent or legal guardian. By withholding health care and even risk assessment surveys from young people if their parents don’t consent, HB 1505 will result in short and long-term health impacts that will be detrimental to young people.
It is our duty as a community to protect our youth and keep them safe; we need to think about the safety of all children, not just our own. For those who are unable to comfortably or safely involve a parent in these personal decisions, they deserve the freedom to still receive help.
Urge lawmakers to stand for the safety and health care of young Floridians by opposing HB 1505.