Can a parent or legal guardian of a woman with down syndrome give consent for sterilization?

I'm doing an argument research paper posing the stance that parents and guardians of women with down syndrome should be able to give full consent to having them sterilized and I'm having trouble finding the laws that state the status quo on this issue any help?


Also, if you have any opinions on this topic that you'd like to include I'd love to hear them!


Thanks!Can a parent or legal guardian of a woman with down syndrome give consent for sterilization?
Not in California. The laws in California are very stringent on informed consent for sterilization and certainly no one other than the patient can give it. Part of the reason for this stems from California's old history of sterilizing thousands of institutionalized people in the early to mid-20th century: mentally retarded, mentally ill, %26amp; handicapped. Public policy swung the other way in response to these abuses and now it is very tough.