| Description |
The American Academy of Pediatrics supports adolescent autonomy for sexual health care and considers it to be a pediatric professional standard of care (AAP, 2022). The laws; surrounding informed consent, confidentiality, and privacy are highly complex with an adolescent patient. Different state laws conflict with federal HIPAA regulations, the 21st Century Cures Act, and clinical guidelines for providing adolescent sexual health care (Sharko et al., 2022). Research has shown that adolescents are more likely to seek health care for sensitive concerns if they can provide consent and know that their health information will be private and secure (Sharko et al., 2022). In the United States (U.S.), there is currently no standardized level of care regarding adolescent consent and confidentiality which leads to confusion and hesitancy among health care providers. This leads to the question: what is the impact of mandatory parental consent in adolescent sexual health and which strategies can improve adolescent sexual health care? The purpose of this paper is to examine federal laws, Utah state laws, and evidence-based recommendations to improve adolescent (ages thirteen to seventeen-years-old) sexual health care. Sexual health care emphasis will be placed on contraception, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment, and HPV immunization. Strategies for health care providers (nurse practitioners, physicians, physician assistants) to navigate adolescent sexual health care will be discussed. A change in practice is recommended to engage adolescents and their parents or guardians in a conversation, improve provider knowledge about laws and policies surrounding adolescent confidentiality, provide education about the consent form, and create a new standard of adolescent sexual health care. Implementing these recommendations will promote adolescent autonomy and improve health outcomes. |
