DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Public Health Service
Office of the Surgeon General
  Rockville MD 20857

FEB 7 1994

The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy
Chairman,  Committee on Labor
and Human Resources
United States Senate
Washington, D.C.   20510

Dear Mr.  Chairman:

We write to you to express our views regarding any prop,osed
federal policy that would mandate written parental consent prior
to counselling or providing condoms or other contraceptive aides
to unemancipated minors.  Decisions regarding the appropriate
dissemination and content of health education materials should
not be made at the federal level, but rather by local public
health and education professionals working together with parents
and community leaders.

The public health effects of mandating written parental consent
must be carefully considered.  While we believe that teenagers
should be encouraged to consult with their parents about family
planning and STD-prevention measures,  a requirement for written
parental consent is dangerously restrictive and could lead to
dire and unwanted public health consequences.

The data show that increasing numbers of adolescents under 18
years of age are sexually active with one or more partners.   This
behavior places them at risk for a range of serious sexually
transmitted diseases including AIDS, and unintended teenage
childbearing.  There are data showing that adolescents will
forego counseling, education,
required.               and services if parental consent is

of      A policy of this nature would sharply reduce the hope
  reaching those teenagers who are most at risk, and reduce the
ability of health professionals to encourage family involvement,
or assist adolescents in taking responsible action.

As our nation strives to confront the growing AIDS epidemic, and
reduce the incidence of HIV infection among youth, it is vital to
provide effective education materials.  A federal law curtailing
or excluding information regarding condoms pending written
parental consent cannot be justified on public health grounds,
particularly when this information may save teen lives.
Decisions about information dissemination and content should be
made at the local level with ongoing involvement of parents and
community leaders.


Page 2 - Senator Kennedy

We support the efforts of public health professionals and health
care providers to encourage minors to involve their families in
all aspects of health education and health services.   We would
strongly oppose a federal mandate that requires parental consent
as a condition of receiving federal health funds.

U.S. Surg on/General
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