This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (54)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related letter  • Related article  • Similar articles in JAMA  Topic Collections  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases  • Medical Practice  • Health Policy  • Law and Medicine  • Women's Health  • Women's Health, Other  • Infectious Diseases  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Diane M. Reddy, PhD; Raymond Fleming, PhD; Carolyne Swain, MS

JAMA. 2002;288:710-714.

Context  Mandatory parental notification for adolescents to obtain prescribed contraceptives is a controversial issue. Recently, legislation that would prohibit prescribed contraceptives for adolescents without parental involvement was introduced in 10 states and the US Congress.

Objective  To determine the effect of mandatory parental notification for prescribed contraceptives on use of sexual health care services by adolescent girls.

Design, Setting, and Participants  Girls younger than 18 years and seeking services at all 33 Planned Parenthood family planning clinics in Wisconsin (n = 1118) were surveyed during the spring of 1999. A response rate of 85% was achieved, yielding a sample of 950 girls.

Main Outcome Measures  Percentages of girls who reported that they would stop using all sexual health care services, delay testing or treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), or discontinue using specific (but not all) services because of parental notification.

Results  Fifty-nine percent (n = 556) indicated they would stop using all sexual health care services, delay testing or treatment for HIV or other STDs, or discontinue use of specific (but not all) sexual health care services if their parents were informed that they were seeking prescribed contraceptives. Eleven percent indicated they would discontinue or delay STD tests or treatment, even though the survey made it clear that mandatory parental notification would occur only for prescribed contraceptives. Analyses comparing girls of different ages and races and from urban vs rural clinics showed that, although the 17-year-olds and African American girls were significantly less likely to stop using sexual health care services with mandatory parental notification, roughly half of the 17-year-olds (56%) and African American girls (49%) indicated that they would stop using all sexual health care services, delay testing or treatment for HIV or other STDs, or discontinue use of specific (but not all) services with mandatory parental notification.

Conclusion  Mandatory parental notification for prescribed contraceptives would impede girls' use of sexual health care services, potentially increasing teen pregnancies and the spread of STDs.

Author Affiliations: Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (Drs Reddy and Fleming); and Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Inc, Milwaukee (Ms Swain). Ms Swain is now affiliated with the Midwestern Professional Research and Educational Services, Inc, Milwaukee, Wis.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

RELATED LETTER

Effects of Mandatory Parental Notification on Adolescents' Use of Sexual Health Care Services
Peter F. Cronholm, Ian M. Bennett, Richard Neill, James E. Brown, Jr, Diane M. Reddy, Raymond Fleming, and Carolyne Swain
JAMA. 2002;288(23):2970-2971.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

RELATED ARTICLE

Limiting Confidentiality of Adolescent Health Services: What Are the Risks?
Carol A. Ford and Abigail English
JAMA. 2002;288(6):752-753.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Underinsurance of Adolescents: Recommendations for Improved Coverage of Preventive, Reproductive, and Behavioral Health Care Services
Committee on Adolescence and Committee on Child He
Pediatrics 2009;123:191-196.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Misclassification Bias and the Estimated Effect of Parental Involvement Laws on Adolescents' Reproductive Outcomes
Colman et al.
AJPH 2008;98:1881-1885.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Breaching confidentiality and destroying trust: The harm to adolescents on physicians' rosters
Reilly
cfp 2008;54:834-835.
FULL TEXT  

Trahir la confidentialite et detruire la confiance: Prejudices aux adolescents inscrits sur les listes de medecins
Reilly
cfp 2008;54:838-839.
FULL TEXT  

Lithuanian general practitioners' knowledge of confidentiality laws in adolescent sexual and reproductive healthcare: A cross-sectional study
Lazarus et al.
Scand J Public Health 2008;36:303-309.
ABSTRACT  

Contraception and Adolescents
Committee on Adolescence
Pediatrics 2007;120:1135-1148.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Adolescents' Access and Consent to the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine: A Critical Aspect for Immunization Success
Farrell and Rome
Pediatrics 2007;120:434-437.
FULL TEXT  

Primary care confidentiality for Spanish adolescents: fact or fiction?
Perez-Carceles et al.
J. Med. Ethics 2006;32:329-334.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Changes in Abortions and Births and the Texas Parental Notification Law
Joyce et al.
NEJM 2006;354:1031-1038.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Changing Parental Opinions About Teen Privacy Through Education
Hutchinson and Stafford
Pediatrics 2005;116:966-971.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Complexities in HIV Consent in Adolescents
Ho et al.
CLIN PEDIATR 2005;44:473-478.
ABSTRACT  

Parental Notification Laws for Minors' Access to Contraception: What Do Parents Say?
Eisenberg et al.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2005;159:120-125.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Adolescents' Reports of Parental Knowledge of Adolescents' Use of Sexual Health Services and Their Reactions to Mandated Parental Notification for Prescription Contraception
Jones et al.
JAMA 2005;293:340-348.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Projected Economic Costs Due to Health Consequences of Teenagers' Loss of Confidentiality in Obtaining Reproductive Health Care Services in Texas
Franzini et al.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2004;158:1140-1146.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Measuring Public Costs Associated With Loss of Confidentiality for Adolescents Seeking Confidential Reproductive Health Care: How High the Costs? How Heavy the Burden?
Brindis and English
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2004;158:1182-1184.
FULL TEXT  

Protecting Adolescents: Ensuring Access to Care and Reporting Sexual Activity and Abuse
AAP News 2004;25:250-251.
FULL TEXT  

Fertility and Parental Consent for Minors to Receive Contraceptives
Zavodny
AJPH 2004;94:1347-1351.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Managed Care: An Inquiry and Review of Issues Affecting Service Delivery
Chorba et al.
American Journal of Medical Quality 2004;19:145-156.
ABSTRACT  

Gender Specific Health Education in the Juvenile Justice System
Kelly et al.
J Correct Health Care 2004;11:45-58.
ABSTRACT  

Effects of Mandatory Parental Notification on Adolescents' Use of Sexual Health Care Services
Cronholm et al.
JAMA 2002;288:2970-2971.
FULL TEXT  

Parental Notification and Teens' Use of Sexual Health Services
JWatch Women's Health 2002;2002:1-1.
FULL TEXT  

Would Parental Notification Affect Adolescents' Use of Planned Parenthood Services?
JWatch General 2002;2002:5-5.
FULL TEXT  

Notifying Parents May Increase Teenage Sexual Health Risks
JWatch Pediatrics 2002;2002:2-2.
FULL TEXT  

Limiting Confidentiality of Adolescent Health Services: What Are the Risks?
Ford and English
JAMA 2002;288:752-753.
FULL TEXT