Anyone 16 years of age or older or married can accept routine emergency medical or surgical care. Teens are concerned about privacy and sometimes don`t seek health care for that reason. Countless federal and state laws affect the confidentiality of medical records in general. However, it is the State that establishes laws on the rights of minors to consent to health services. Parents are generally required to give consent before their minor children receive medical attention; However, many states make important exceptions when it comes to sensitive services where parental consent could discourage a young person from receiving the care they need in a timely manner. For example, all 50 states and the District of Columbia allow minors 12 and older to access health care without parental consent to treat sexually transmitted diseases. Similarly, some states and the District of Columbia allow minors to receive contraceptive services without informing parents. Access to these services helps reduce the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and prevent unintended pregnancies. In most states, minors can consent to drug treatment themselves, and in about half of the states they have an explicit right to consent to outpatient psychiatric care. J. Nothing in subsection G shall be construed as allowing a minor to consent to an abortion without complying with § 16.1-241.

Any of the following persons may consent, orally or otherwise, to any surgical or medical treatment or procedure that is not prohibited by law proposed, recommended, prescribed or directed by a licensed medical practitioner: (7) Any unemancipated minor who has sufficient intelligence to understand and appreciate the consequences of the proposed treatment or surgical or medical interventions, for yourself; (14) a local McKinney-Vento Homeless Association education agency for unaccompanied homeless youth. Informed consent for a minor`s health care may be obtained from a school nurse, school counsellor or homeless student liaison officer if: G. A pregnant minor is considered to be of full age for the sole purpose of consenting for herself and her child to surgical and medical treatment related to childbirth, if such surgical or medical treatment takes place during the child`s delivery or during the period of hospitalization for such delivery; Consequently, the minor mother of this child is also considered to be of legal age if she consents to surgical and medical treatment of her child. An unaccompanied homeless minor 14 years of age or older may consent, contract and receive medical, dental or behavioural tests, care or treatment without the permission, authority or consent of a parent or guardian. Acceptable documentation showing that a person is an unaccompanied homeless minor includes a statement documenting that status, signed by: (3) The minor is at least 14 years of age and is not under the care, supervision or control of a parent, guardian or guardian. A person under the age of 21 may consent to medical and other health services detecting or treating the presence or treatment of a sexually transmitted disease and any other reportable disease, infection or other condition. If the minor consents to a diagnosis or treatment, the consent or consent of another person is not required. This ongoing column is dedicated to providing information to our readers on managing the legal risks associated with medical practice.

We invite our readers to ask questions. Responses are provided by PRMS, Inc. (www.prms.com), a manager of professional medical liability insurance programs whose services include risk management advice, on-site training and risk management reviews, and other resources for health care providers to improve patient outcomes and reduce professional liability risks. The responses published in this column represent those of a single risk management consulting firm. Other risk management consulting firms or insurance companies may offer other advice, and readers should take this into account. The information in this column does not constitute legal advice. For legal advice, please contact your personal lawyer. Note: The information and recommendations in this article apply to physicians and other health care professionals, so the term “clinician” is used to refer to all members of the treatment team. As of 2020, all jurisdictions have laws that expressly allow a minor of a certain age (as defined by each state) to give informed consent to receive STD diagnosis and treatment services. In some jurisdictions, a minor may be permitted by law to give informed consent to receive certain STD or HIV services, including PrEP, even if the law is silent about these services related to the disease. For example, HIV services could be interpreted as belonging to STD services, and prevention could be interpreted as being included in a broad definition of treatment or services. F.

Except for the purpose of sexual sterilization, any minor who is married or who has been married is considered an adult for the purpose of giving consent to surgical and medical treatment. A minor may consent to medical treatment to the same extent as if he or she were of legal age if he or she lives apart from his or her parents or guardian and manages his or her own affairs regardless of his or her source of income. Any minor who is separated from his or her parents or legal guardian for any reason and who is not in the care of his or her parents or guardian may consent to the services being provided by health professionals. A minor may consent to all medical, mental, dental and other health services and advice if he or she lives apart from his or her parents or guardians and is independent of parental support. The minor can prove this status with documents, including, but not limited to, a written statement from a homeless nonprofit, local education agency McKinney-Vento Homeless Association, or an attorney. While any parent can be legally allowed to consent to treatment, it is helpful to meet with both parents to reach consensus on the care plan when a minor patient is seen for a period of time – and especially if medication is administered. This will help ensure that the treatment plan is followed no matter who the patient is staying with. In the event that someone other than a parent, for example, it is recommended that a grandparent or step-parent bring a minor to appointments with both parents who acknowledge and accept this agreement and that this agreement be required to carefully document the limits of that person`s authority. This document covers 34 states and the District of Columbia with laws that allow minors living alone, including unaccompanied minors who are homeless, to consent to routine health care, which should include vaccinations unless specifically exempted.

It also includes states with laws that allow minors to consent to the diagnosis and treatment of infectious, contagious or reportable diseases, including COVID-19 testing. Awareness and full implementation of these laws is particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Care for mature and emancipated minors is done without parental consent or notification, although the physician often works with the adolescent to involve parents in decision-making, risk reduction, and ongoing health care. Notably, mature and emancipated minors must continue to abide by state laws on age-restricted activities, such as voting and buying alcohol. A minor who lives apart from his or her parents and manages his or her own financial affairs, regardless of the source of income or the amount of income, is eligible for medical or dental services.