Understanding Adolesecent Confidentiality In Accessing Health Care

1. As a young person you have the right to privacy and confidentiality.
2. You have more mental capacity for decision making than younger children but are not yet full adults.

3. It is very important for you to understand this issue and your rights.

4. Confidentiality also will help to protect your rights .

What is confidentialty Confidential care means that the health care provider does not reveal any information to anyone without your permission. Why do you need to know

• It is your right to know and it will protect your rights

• To make you feel comfortable in sharing your concern
• To allow young people confidential care for personal issue that are sensitive in nature. These prob­lems include STD/STI (link to STD), contraceptive care, preg­nancy, mental health issues and substance abuse.

• To protect adolescents from humiliation and discrimination that could result from disclosure of confidential information.
• To support the adolescents’ growing sense of privacy and

• To ensure young people get the correct health information and care by profesional

What do you need to know

1. What information is confidential ?

• Problems that are sensitive in nature for examples areas of reproductive health, mental health and substance abuse.

2. What information is not confidential (since such information is not protected)?

• If you give consent allowing the doctor or health care personal to disclose the information

3. What exceptions are there in the confidentiality requirements?
   • Confidentiality can be breached when there is ethical or legal reasons.

• Any circumstances in which it is not possible or appropriate to maintain the confidentiality

• These include situations

• The adolescent poses a severe risk of harm to himself or herself or to others,
• Suspected physical or sexual abuse (link to abuse) for which there is a legal reporting requirement.

• It is your right to be informed.

• Ask your doctor or health care provider for clarification

Referrences

• Confidentiality in Adolescent Health Care UpToDate, 2014 (A.B. Middleman and K.A. Olson, A. English, Editor)

• Consent & Confidentiality in Adolescent Health Care:A Guide for the Arizona Health Care Practitioner

• Teenage Confidentiality: A Young Person’s Right to Privacy Joe Sanders Jr. the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

• The American Heritage® Stedman’s Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

• http://www.unicef.org/crc/index_30160.html