Background
Over the past 30 years, states have expanded minors’ authority to consent to health care, including care related to sexual activity. The great majority of states and the District of Columbia currently allow a minor to obtain confidential prenatal care, including regular medical visits and routine services for labor and delivery. Some of these states, however, allow physicians to inform parents that their minor child is seeking or receiving services when they deem it in the best interests of the minor. In states that lack relevant policy or case law, physicians may commonly provide medical care to a mature minor without parental consent, particularly if the state allows minors to consent to related health services.
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Highlights
- 38 states and the District of Columbia have a law regarding a minor’s ability to access prenatal care.
- 37 states and the District of Columbia explicitly allow some minors to consent to prenatal care.
- 29 states and the District of Columbia allow all minors to consent to prenatal care.
- 4 states require the minor to be of a specific age before they can consent to prenatal care.
- 4 states allow a minor who is considered mature enough to understand the nature and consequences of the treatment to consent to prenatal care.
- 1 state requires parental consent during all but one prenatal visit during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters; the minor may consent to prenatal care during the 1st trimester and for the first visit after the 1st trimester.
- 37 states and the District of Columbia explicitly allow some minors to consent to prenatal care.
- 15 of the above states allow, but do not require, physicians to inform parents that their minor child is seeking or receiving prenatal care when they deem it in the best interests of the minor.
- 12 states have no explicit policy on minors’ authority to consent to prenatal care.
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Topic
United States
Geography
- United States: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming