Contemporary Challenges to Providing Confidential Reproductive Healthcare to Minors

Abstract

Minors in most states have a legal right to consent for reproductive health services, including contraception, pregnancy care, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, and (to varying degrees) abortion care. The right to consent usually corresponds with a right to confidentiality, but clinicians struggle to ensure minor confidentiality. This chapter reviews contemporary policies and laws that impact consent and confidentiality for minors seeking reproductive healthcare services. The authors also provide context on the public health framework for laws pertaining to adolescent consent and confidentiality. In the third section, they explore ethical considerations regarding the provision of confidential reproductive healthcare to minors. Last, the authors explore how contemporary medical practice can undermine legal protections afforded to minors, specifically focusing on electronic medical records, electronic prescriptions, and insurance. The authors give providers practical advice on how to optimize minor patients’ access to needed services while maintaining a trusting patient–provider relationship.