Ethical Issue in Patient Care: Research Paper

This idea is supported by a Journal of the American Medical Association. The study found that 60% of the teens surveyed said that their parents knew they were using a clinic for sexual health services. These statistics act as a counterweight to the contention that parental notification laws would improve communication on the subject between teens and their parents. Additionally, 18% of teens said that if they were legally required to tell their parents about their use of the clinic, they would not seek contraceptive services at all and instead engage in unsafe sex (Jones 2005).

Defenders of consent laws point out teens need parental notification for other medical procedures. However, the relatively few states in the union that demand parental consent laws suggest that the perceived harms of controls outweigh the potential benefits of restrictions. Ethically, if a healthcare provider is offering family planning services to a teen, it would seem to be a good idea to discuss the teen's views on sexuality and provide suggestions for the teen about places where he or she could seek emotional support regarding the decision to embark upon sexual activity.Determining why the teen does not wish to disclose his or her sexual behavior to the parent -- whether due to fear or repercussions or simply disappointing the parent -- may help the provider offer guidance and perhaps encourage the teen to talk to adults about his or her decision.

References

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