A 17-year-old girl visits the office for an assessment of developing vaginal discomfort and discharge. In the last several months, she has had several sexual partners. The patient takes oral contraceptives and uses condoms seldom. She has no previous medical issues and does not use any other drugs. Urine pregnancy testing is negative, but gonorrhea testing is positive. The patient does not want her parents to know she is having sex and wonders whether the doctor would inform her parents about her visit today. Which of the following is the best way to deal with this patient?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Minors (those under the age of 18) often require parental approval for medical treatment; however, consent is not normally necessary in the following situations:
Emancipation, whether legal or situational (eg, parent, married)
Emergency care in which a delay in treatment might result in serious injury to life or limb
Conditions that are potentially dangerous, sensitive, or stigmatizing (e.g., sexually transmitted infection [STI], pregnancy, substance misuse) 
Allowing minors to agree to treatment for potentially serious medical conditions (e.g., STI) encourages them to seek care without parental participation, as in this patient's case. Minors can consent to drug addiction and mental health treatment, as well as reproductive services, in most jurisdictions, however there may be differences across states (eg, requiring minors to be a minimum age). Some states, but not all, omit information regarding sensitive treatments from insurance documents submitted to the parent (policyholder).

A 17-Year-Old Girl Visits the Office for an Assessment of Developing