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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

To the Editor: The article by Dr Ford and colleagues¹ documents that many adolescents forgo health care because they fear disclosure of confidential information or lack access to health care providers. We are concerned with adolescent health and rights, and we applaud the focus on this underserved population. However, more proactive measures are needed to address the problem.

Virtually every state affords adolescents confidential access to such sensitive health services as family planning, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and substance abuse counseling. Unfortunately, many health care providers are often unaware of minors' rights to confidential health care.² The legal framework governing adolescent health care is often confusing and in some cases contradictory. Some laws, such as parental consent requirements for abortion, serve as barriers to adolescents seeking care.³ These restrictions create an environment in which physicians become wary of providing any confidential health services to minors.

To . . . [Full Text of this Article]

RELATED ARTICLE

Foregone Health Care Among Adolescents
Carol A. Ford, Peter S. Bearman, and James Moody
JAMA. 1999;282(23):2227-2234.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT