What are your opinions on Teens & Medical Privacy?

Question

This is a question for my science class, and I have to research the opions of people about "Minors and Medical Privacy".
So anyway, my question(s):

What medical procedures should minors have available to them without parental consent?
Do doctors have an obligation to inform parents of conditions a teen has (pregnancy, AIDS) even if the teen doesn't wish it?

Answer 1

I believe parents should be involved in all medical conditions involving their child. If I am responsible for my child till they are 18 then that includes medical care and any and all treatment.

Answer 2

I agree in theory with the previous poster, but reality is our politicians are asses and grant teens to have medical privacy. It's strange, because parents are responsible for payment if a teen ends up in a juvenile center but we as parents can't get access to confidential medical information. I don't think that any child under the age of 18 with living parents should be able to have medical procedures without parental consent. (Unless there is documented abuse or similar that can be proved). Has there ever been a malpractice suit against a doc for prescribing a medication without full knowledge of a kids family medical history and the kid had a deadly (hopefully not in the dead sense) reaction? With the paranoia in the medical community it boggles my mind that doctors support this. Bottom line, I don't think minors should have medical privacy because too many issues are at stake, including the caretaking of said minor if a medical procedure or treatment goes wrong and the parent is responsible for the outcome without any input into the decision making.

Answer 3

Clearly any life or death procedure should be carried out without a parent's consent. If a teen will die without immediate surgery and a parent cannot be reached to give consent, I believe the idea of implied consent would apply here.

Most other medical procedures should require parental notification as the parent is the legal guardian of the teen. I do believe that a doctor has a legal obligation to obtain parental consent before handing out any type of prescription (including birth control) or performing most medical procedures, those that are not life or death.

Answer 4

if you a minor you should have no medical or any other privacy than what your parents allow you to have...if your old enough to make decisions about medical privacy we should lower the age of being an adult ...

Answer 5

If your a minor, you are not entitled to privacy. The parents are in charge. The government is not the parent. Doctors are obligated to tell the parents everything, period!