Keeping Secrets from Parents
Nearly 11,000 Illinois Girls Under 18 Had Abortions in the Last Five Years
Imagine filling the seats of a large high school gym with more than 10,000 teenage girls. Now imagine that every one of those girls went through an abortion before reaching adulthood. Based on data from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the best available estimate for 2024, about 10,900 girls under the age of 18 had abortions in Illinois between 2020 and 2024. That averages to more than 2,100 minors every year. While girls under 18 account for only a small percentage of all abortions in Illinois, the total number is still staggering. Each of those abortions ended the life of a unique unborn child and forever changed the life of a young mother.
One fact that many Illinois residents may not know is that a girl under the age of 18 can legally obtain an abortion in Illinois without the consent or even the notification of a parent or legal guardian. Until June 1, 2022, Illinois law generally required that a parent or guardian be notified at least 48 hours before an abortion, although parental consent was never required and a judge could waive the notification requirement in certain cases. That notification law was repealed, and today a minor may consent to an abortion on her own under Illinois law.
Illinois has become one of the nation's leading destinations for abortion. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, thousands of women have traveled to Illinois from neighboring states where abortion laws became more restrictive. Overall abortions in Illinois have climbed sharply, and abortions involving minors have continued. Most of these abortions occur during the first trimester, and many are now performed using abortion pills instead of surgery.
For many parents, learning that they have no legal right to be notified if their teenage daughter has an abortion comes as a surprise. Supporters of the current law argue that it protects minors who may come from abusive or unsafe homes and allows them to receive medical care without fear. Opponents argue that loving parents should be involved in major medical decisions affecting their children and that removing notification can leave vulnerable teenagers without emotional support during a difficult time. Regardless of where someone stands on the issue, the law has shifted the responsibility for this decision almost entirely to the minor and her healthcare providers.
For many teenagers, an unexpected pregnancy brings fear, confusion, and enormous pressure. Some worry about disappointing their parents. Others fear losing friendships, falling behind in school, or facing an uncertain future. Those fears are real and deserve compassion. But many believe the answer should never be to end the life of an unborn child. Instead, communities should surround these young women with practical help, loving families, medical care, counseling, adoption services, mentoring, and pregnancy resource centers that offer hope instead of despair.
The debate over abortion often focuses on politics, court decisions, and personal rights. Those issues matter, but they should not cause us to overlook the human reality behind the statistics. Every abortion involves two human lives: a mother facing a difficult situation and an unborn child who deserves the same right to live as every other member of the human family. Science shows that a new, genetically distinct human organism begins developing at fertilization, and an embryo's heart begins beating early in pregnancy. Many people believe these facts should inspire greater protection for unborn children.
Nearly 11,000 minors undergoing abortions in just five years should concern people of every political belief. These are not simply numbers on a government report. They represent thousands of frightened young girls and thousands of unborn children who will never take their first breath, celebrate a birthday, or experience the opportunities life could have offered. They also raise difficult questions about the role of parents, the responsibility of society, and whether enough is being done to support young women facing unexpected pregnancies before they see abortion as their only option.
Illinois has chosen a path that expands access to abortion, including for minors without parental notification. Many believe there is a better path—one that protects both mother and child. Instead of asking how abortion can become easier to obtain, we should ask how we can provide more support, more resources, and more hope so that choosing life becomes a realistic option. Every child deserves a chance to live. Every young mother deserves compassion and encouragement. And every one of those nearly 11,000 statistics reminds us that there is still much work to be done.
https://states.guttmacher.org/policies/illinois/abortion-statistics
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