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Confidential Care For Adolescents In The U.S. Health Care System, Priya R. Pathak, Adriana Chou

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

In providing care for adolescents, maintaining confidentiality should be considered a human right and an evidence-based component of quality care. Unfortunately, complexities in the U.S. legal and health care systems have created a setting in which confidential care is inaccessible to many adolescent patients. Federal laws provide a minimum standard for confidentiality protections, but variations in state legislation relating to minor consent, special health care services, and confidentiality exemptions create large variability in adolescent confidentiality rights across the country. In certain contexts, such as consensual sexual activity, legal provisions may not align with professional ethical standards in adolescent care. In …