Puberty Over the past two decades, the courts
have struggled with the minor’s right to privacy against the value of parental guid- ance. Adolescent health experts agree that adolescents will not seek care unless they are assured of confi dential services. Experts also agree that it’s appropriate for the minor to exercise the privacy rights under the HIPAA regulation. Communica- tion can seriously be compromised and the privacy of an adolescent may even deter the individual from seeking further treatment. Being aware of the confi dential services that your adolescent is entitled to will help your family better understand healthcare rights and help your provider deliver appropriate care. Providers have a window of opportunity
to provide primary prevention strategies that may reduce adolescent health risk behaviors, possibly even reduce the initia- tion of high-risk sexual behavior, during an offi ce visit. Creative, age-appropriate strategies include an adolescent-friendly exam room with brochures, educational videos and/or computer programs. Find
Discuss “ground rules” at your child’s next well visit
out how your child’s provider handles these sensitive conversations. Every state has laws that allow minors
to give consent for some kinds of health- care — including emergency, general health, contraceptive, pregnancy-related, HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases (STD), substance abuse and mental healthcare. Every state also has laws that allow minors to give consent for care if they are emancipated, mature, living apart from their parents, pregnant, parents themselves and high school graduates or above a certain age. Many of these laws have been in place for several decades. Example: A 16-year-old female comes
Find out how your provider handles sensitive
conversations
into a primary care offi ce for a routine well visit, expressing concern that she may have an STD. As a minor, she would be able to consent for this service in every state, although the age limit varies. With Title X and possibly state law, she would be permitted to give her own con- sent for family planning services. Should her parents at some point want
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