On the recordOctober 8, 1998
the Istook amendment does protect our children, and it does provide counseling for children during the time that they are going through emotional problems in their lives. But it does protect a parent's right to know. It simply requires that a parent be notified before their child is given contraception. As parents, we do want to know that. We want to know if they smoke, drink, or do drugs. I do not really see why this is any different. One thing we have not talked about is that all birth control is not safe, because it has been documented that birth control can be very damaging to young girls going through puberty. It can cause blood clotting, bone deterioration, blindness, among a long list of possible side effects, and even death in girls with heart conditions. It has been a cause of brainstem stroke in teenagers. So I urge Members to support the Istook amendment.
Source
govinfo.gov
