Discussion to be led by: Mary Ott, MD, MA, Abigail English, JD, Sharon Enujioke, MD, MPH and Cathy Shubkin, MD, HEC-C
 

“Parents’ Rights” has recently featured prominently in legislation and court cases that affect the health and wellbeing of adolescents and young adults. Parents’ rights rationales have been used as a strategy to give parents’ increased control over curriculum and availability of library materials in schools, restrict adolescent minors’ ability to consent to their own health care, and restrict confidentiality protections. While adolescent health professionals value the role of parent guidance and support for young people, these developments are presenting adolescent health professionals with difficult ethical choices about how best to protect patients, interact with families, and comply with both evolving laws and their ethical obligations. The Ethics and Legal Issues SIG provides space for conversations about providers’ experiences and ways forward in challenging times.