title: Navigating conflicting laws in sexual and reproductive health service provision for teenagers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The South African legal and policy framework for sexual and reproductive healthcare provision for teenagers is complex.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The article outlines the dilemmas emanating from the legal and policy framework, summarises issues with implementation of the legal and policy framework in practice, and summarises recent changes to the law.
  
  
  METHODS
  In-depth analysis of the legal and policy framework. Training workshops with a purposive sample of nurses and other healthcare providers in the Western Cape.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tensions between consent and confidentiality imposed by the Termination of Pregnancy Act, the Children's Act, the National Health Act and the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act render conflicting obligations on healthcare providers. Healthcare providers' experiences with service provision in this context show that the conflicting roles they inhabit render their service provision to teenagers more challenging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Healthcare providers need to learn about their legal obligations surrounding adolescent sexual and reproductive health services.
authors.forename: Kelley
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moult
authors.affiliation: University of Cape Town, Gender, Health and Justice Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences. kelley.moult@uct.ac.za.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D010371:Pediatric Nursing; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D034121:Reproductive Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D013019:South Africa