I have volunteered in the sphere of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) for over seven years and in prisons for over 18 years.  I have met girls who were sexually abused/exploited by peers, online perpetrators, or adults they thought they could trust.  This often results in guilt and shame, self-harm or other risky behaviors.  They are also at risk of being forced or coerced into situations that lead to pregnancy and subsequently to an abortion.  If not for parental consent, perpetrators are able to hide the assault and continue to exploit and traumatize these girls, sometimes for years.  This is an example of DMST. 

Parental notification is the last protection available for minors in this state and those transported across state lines for abortion.  The fact that Colorado abortion facilities can function without any licensure, inspection, or oversight, without any accountability, makes it impossible to track. 

Historically, Colorado Legislature passed the Colorado Parental Notification Act in 2003.  Currently, this law is under active threat in courts and the legislature, as pro-abortion advocates push to dismantle it.  In July 2025, an abortion provider in Colorado, Dr. Rebecca Cohen, launched a lawsuit arguing that any requirement for parental notification for minors who seek an abortion violates their rights, can delay care and presents a barrier for minors pursuing an abortion.   

Those who support removing parental consent, often ask “what about cases in which the parent is abusive?”  This is a moot argument, as Colorado currently allows for “judicial bypass” in which a judge may give permission for the minor to proceed with an abortion without parental notification in these situations.   Proponents of abortion would claim this is cumbersome and potentially delays abortion.  However, they are quite efficient in assisting minors in this process and often promote this on their websites.  

Research in peer-reviewed journals, including neuroimaging, supports evidence showing that minors often lack cognitive maturity in critical thinking and decision-making capacity, defined at times as a “maturity” gap. Neuroimaging research confirms that areas of the brain involved in ‘executive functions’ such as planning, reasoning, evaluating risk, self-control and abstract thinking, involving a process of prefrontal cortex, continues to mature into early adulthood.  This delay in maturation and development contributes to challenges in executive functions which are crucial to critical thinking and decision-making skills.   A 2024 article in the journal Adolescents noted, “Adolescence is characterized by increased emotional intensity and instability, further complicating the decision-making landscape…The pronounced risk-taking observed in adolescents is not due to a failure to recognize risk but stems from a critical developmental discrepancy within their brains.”  This can present challenges in making real-world, real-life decisions resulting in making more risky choices.  This limits their ability to make medical decisions, recognize and/or manage post-abortion complications, and handle the financial responsibilities or liabilities.

While custody statutes are often thought of in the context of divorce or separation proceedings, Colorado law C.R.S.§19-1-103(94)(a) defines legal custody in terms that establish the duty to care for a child’s essential needs.  The right to care, food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and necessities for the child’s wellbeing.   Therefore, parents carry the legal and financial responsibility for their child’s health and well-being.  At a minimum parental notification should be maintained.  Excluding them from significant medical decisions undermines parental responsibility, informed consent, and continuity of care.  Medical risks post abortion can be serious:  hemorrhage, infection, emotional instability, complications related to anesthesia and may also impact future fertility.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has noted that the risk of dying from an abortion increases by 38% for each additional week of gestation beyond eight weeks.  Parents are often the first to recognize complications and ensure emergency medical care is obtained.  Imagine losing your child because of complications following an abortion you knew nothing about.  

Respect for parental authority, child safety and basic medical ethics requires that parental notification for minors seeking abortion be preserved.  These laws help to protect minors from exploitation, ensure accountability, and provide a vital safety net for those who need it most.  Coloradans should stand behind our current parental notification law and not let the courts or legislature deprive parents of this important safeguard.

Wendy J. Smith, of Colorado Springs, is a retired acute care nurse practitioner and serves on the executive team of the Colorado chapter of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetrician-Gynecologists.