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Running head: MINORS AND THE RIGHT TO CONSENT TO HEALTH CARE
Minors and the Right to Consent to Health Care
Angela M. Ervin
Grand Canyon University
Minors and the Right to Consent to Health Care
Guttmachers Report on Public Policy
By Heather Boonstra & Elizabeth Nash
Many states authorize minors to consent to contraceptive services, testing and treatment for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, prenatal care and delivery of services, treatment for alcohol and drug abuse, and outpatient mental health care.
The law recognizes that decisional capacity regarding health care is not rigidly tied to age. ... The mature minor rule states that a minor who can understand and appreciate the nature and consequences of a proposed medical procedure/treatment and its alternatives can give a valid legal consent.
Problem: Should parents have the right and responsibility to make these important health care decisions for their minor children, or should the minor children have the autonomy to consent for their own health care? Should we maintain and protect the right to privacy for the minor regardless of parental rights?
Approximate Word count = 818
Approximate Pages = 3.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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