Limiting Parental Rights In Medical Decision Making

Today, many laws are trying to limit parental rights in the medical decision making of their teens. What would happen if the child makes the wrong decision? Parents have full on custody and are financially responsible for their child until the child is eighteen. Dr. Stacey Berg (2015), a professor of Pediatrics and medical ethics at Baylor College of Medicine, declared that “Not much happens right when you turn 18, but in the eyes of the law you 're allowed to make really bad choices for yourself if you want to"(Leonard, p.1). Teen are not capable in making such decisions on health. Adults only want what 's best for their children and to teach them properly how to care for themselves. Parents should have a say in their child’s medical decisions.

Many states are starting to limit parental rights as P. Jon White (2009), MD, director of health IT, stated in Privacy and Security Solutions that “the HIPAA Privacy Rule defers to state law as to whether a health care provider may or may not notify parents of such treatment and whether the parents have right of access to the medical records associated with such treatment.” (White, p.7). Many agree with this statement because they believe that teenagers are not brainless and that they would go to a doctor if something seemed different than normal. By letting teens make their own decisions, they think teens will become more independent and self-confident. This would stop them from making mistakes later in life. A majority of parents make all the decisions for their youth. During adolescent, teens learn how to make their own decisions but something as serious as medical issues parents should