The proposed ban would deny families the freedom to seek counseling aligned with their faith. Teens need to mature in order to make prudent decisions; thus, Virginia has laws with minimum ages. The minimum age for buying tobacco was raised from 18 to 21 as of July 1, 2019 and alcohol also has a minimum age of 21. Interestingly, piercing and tattoos can be done with parental permission to someone younger than 18. These laws were made to prevent teens from making bad decisions.  We must protect parental rights. Parents are closest to their children and must be allowed to make healthcare decisions involving their children. Please do not pass this proposal.