title: Protecting adolescents' right to seek treatment for sexually transmitted diseases without parental consent: the Arizona experience with Senate Bill 1309.
abstract: In 2010, Senate Bill 1309 included language to repeal an existing Arizona law that enables minors younger than 18 years of age to seek diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) without parental consent. Numerous implications were identified that would have stemmed from parental consent provisions originally proffered in Senate Bill 1309. These implications included diminished access to essential health services among minors, exacerbated existing health disparities, increased health-care spending costs, and thwarted efforts to curb the spread of STDs. Lastly, minors would have been deprived of existing privacy protections concerning their STD-related medical information. This case study describes how collaborative advocacy efforts resulted in the successful amendment of Senate Bill 1309 to avert the negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes among adolescents stemming from the potential repeal of their existing legal right to seek STD treatment without parental consent.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Public Health Capacity Development, Atlanta, GA, USA. kimberlygoodwin@mail.maricopa.gov
authors.forename: Kimberly D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Goodwin
authors.forename: Melanie M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Erin C Fuse
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Winscott
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scanlon
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hodge
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mickey
authors.forename: Bob
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: England
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D001130:Arizona; D003256:Community Participation; D003254:Consumer Advocacy; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006806:Human Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D033242:Minors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D033282:Parental Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D018907:Privacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult