Dr. Anne Foster-Rosales is the Chief Medical Officer for Planned Parenthood Golden Gate.

As a mother, I know that parents rightfully want to be involved in the lives of their teens. As a Planned Parenthood doctor, I counsel teens to speak with their parents, to seek their support and guidance in all situations…when they are thinking about becoming sexually active, when they are seeking birth control or when they want to terminate an unintended pregnancy. Unfortunately, the reality is that not all teens can safely turn to a parent in these situations. And that's why I'm voting No on proposition 85.

Some teens are the victims of physical abuse or even incest. This happens more often than anyone would like to admit. Even in our own community. The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that domestic violence occurs over 50 times a day and affects more than 16,500 children each year.

Teens won't turn to an abusive parent when they fear for their own safety. But they might risk their lives with an illegal or self-induced abortion. Others may consider suicide. I saw this time and time and again when I was a doctor working in Latin America where most countries outlaw or severely restrict abortion. I personally reviewed the death certificates of many desperate young women who had sought out illegal abortions and died in the process. I hope I will never have to witness such tragedies here in my home state of California.

Notification laws don't improve family communication. Studies have found they do not reduce teen pregnancy or teen abortion in other states. In states that have these laws, teens are risking their health by delaying medical care and counseling. They are crossing borders for services and, even worse, some are attempting abortions on their own. They are risking their health, and they are risking their lives.

The good news is that research shows the majority of teens do involve a parent when facing an unintended pregnancy. Prop 85 won't affect them; it will only put less fortunate teens in danger.

Don't be fooled! The backers of 85 are not promoting family communication. They are simply trying to restrict abortion. The groups behind 85 are manipulating the legitimate fears of concerned parents to further their own anti-choice agenda at the expense of our teens. They are the Central California Right to Life, the Traditional Values Coalition and Evangelicals for Social Action.

It's not always easy to talk about sexual health, but this is our responsibility as parents. The best way to make sure our teens come to us is to begin talking with them at an early age, to let them know they are safe coming to us with their problems. PPGG has tips for parents who need help getting a conversation started. We also host workshops.

As the chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Golden Gate I oversee the primary care and reproductive health services we provide to 65,000 men, women and teens in the Bay Area each year. The vast majority of our clients come to us to prevent unintended pregnancies, and I'm proud of the part PPGG has played in reducing California's teen pregnancy rate by 46% over the past decade. California doesn't need notification laws that will only put teens in danger.

That's why many health care providers, like myself, oppose Prop 85. We know it's bad health policy. The groups that oppose 85 are the people who work with teens and their families every day: The California Teacher's Association, the California Nurses Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the California Medical Association.

Teen safety should be the basis of medical policy, not politics. Join me in voting No on Proposition 85.