Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2007
Keywords
Adolescent Confidentiality, Confidentiality of Adolescents, Human Right to Confidentiality, Convention on the Rights of the Child, Reproductive Health Confidentiality, Mature Minors, Parental Rights
Abstract
Adolescents, defined as between 10 and 19 years old, present a growing challenge to reproductive health. Adolescent sexual intercourse contributes to worldwide burdens of unplanned pregnancy, abortion, spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, and maternal mortality and morbidity. A barrier to contraceptive care and termination of adolescent pregnancy is the belief that in law minors intellectually mature enough to give consent also require consent of, or at least prior information to, their parental guardians. Adolescents may avoid parental disclosure by forgoing desirable reproductive health care. Recent judicial decisions, however, give effect to internationally established human rights to confidentiality, for instance under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which apply without a minimum age. These judgments contribute to modern legal recognition that sufficiently mature adolescents can decide not only to request care for contraception, abortion and STIs, but also whether and when their parents should be informed.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Rebecca J Cook, Joanna N Erdman, & Bernard M Dickens, "Respecting Adolescents' Confidentiality and Reproductive and Sexual Choices" (2007) 98: Intl J Gynecology & Obstetrics 182.
Included in
Health Law and Policy Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, International Law Commons, Juvenile Law Commons, Privacy Law Commons, Sexuality and the Law Commons
Comments
Formerly U Toronto, Legal Studies Research Paper No. 08-08. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics published by Wiley (https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/18793479)