Medical Emancipation: A Right for Minors

Medical Emancipation for Minors

Robert Heinlein once said, “there is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him.” Medical emancipation is something many people consider a minor problem or not worthy of consideration because it is unnecessary, when in reality hundreds of people fight for it. Although many people believe medical emancipation for minors is unjust, minors deserve rights because they will seek more help, doctors protect their medical privacy, and they should have the legal control.

Minors are more likely to seek medical help if their parent or guardian will remain unnotified. Recent studies have shown, “only forty-five percent of adolescents surveyed would seek medical care for depression if parental notification was required” (Loxterman n.pg.). This leaves about

“‘Minors consent laws are extremely important’, argues Abigail English, director of the center for Adolescent Health and the Law. ‘They encourage young people to seek health care services they need and enable them to talk candidly with their providers’” ( Boonstra and Nash n.pg.). Abigail English, focuses her research on what is best in the world of healthcare, she found that giving minors medical privacy has proven to have more positive results. Studies have shown, “of physicians surveyed, seventy-five percent favored confidential treatment for adolescents” (Loxterman n.pg.). Doctors understand that the information their patients share is often embarrassing or touchy so they strongly feel the need to keep it private. They fear if they do not, the patient will be hesitant to share what is actually going on. Also, a study done by the American Medical Association found that doctors more heavily support medical privacy for a minor than the general