THE ADOLESCENTS RIGHT TO CONFIDENTIAL CARE WHEN CONSIDERING ABORTION

In this statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reaffirms its position that the rights of adolescents to confidential care when considering abortion should be protected. The AAP supports the recomme ndations presented in the report on mandatory parental consent to abor tion by the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs of the American Me dical Association. Adolescents should be strongly encouraged to involv e their parents and other trusted adults in decisions regarding pregna ncy termination, and the majority of them voluntarily do so. Legislati on mandating parental involvement does not achieve the intended benefi t of promoting family communication, but it does increase the risk of harm to the adolescent by delaying access to appropriate medical care. The statement presents a summary of pertinent current information rel ated to the benefits and risks of legislation requiring mandatory pare ntal involvement in an adolescent's decision to obtain an abortion. Th e AAP acknowledges and respects the diversity of beliefs about abortio n and affirms the value of voluntary parental involvement in decision making by adolescents.