How much more can kids take?

In the midst of a youth mental health crisis with increasing suicide rates, underfunded and limited access to mental health care, political attacks on gender and sexual minorities, and rises in gun violence, survivors of youth rape and human sex trafficking may soon be forced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term.

Adolescent females showed the highest psychological distress during the pandemic. Racial, ethnic, gender and sexual minorities demonstrate increased risks for negative mental health outcomes. Overturning Roe v. Wade would disproportionately affect minority individuals. How much more can kids take? As a pediatric psychologist, my stomach turned as I read the consultation order: “Twelve-year-old who just gave birth, history of sexual assault, evaluate postbirth,” it said. I’ll never forget this child in her hospital bed watching Disney+ and holding a stuffed animal while her newborn was placed nearby. I could not grasp the reality: This was her child. Most of all, I’ll never forget her mother’s plea to have known sooner about the assault and consequential pregnancy and for options such as abortion.

Florida’s HB 5 bans abortion after 15 weeks, with no exceptions for incest, rape or human trafficking. Yet Florida continues to be one of the highest-ranking states for human sex trafficking, especially minors. Overturning Roe would violate human bodily autonomy for all people and will continue to induce psychological harm to our most vulnerable youth.

Sexual assault and rape of minors are the most heinous acts that often result in negative mental health outcomes such as post-traumatic stress disorder. In these cases, parents and minors deserve the right to receive education from medical providers and to choose next steps — including abortion. Forcing a minor, particularly a survivor of sexual trauma, to carry a pregnancy to term completely violates fundamental aspects of trauma-informed care and possesses high likelihood to provoke re-traumatization.

The culture wars and actions by governors and lawmakers in Florida, Texas, Alabama and Mississippi continue to wreak havoc on youth mental health. Dr. Natasha Poulopoulos, Miami The writer is a pediatric psychologist.