SEXUAL LAWS TODAY: TREATMENT FOR MINORS WITH SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS
Access to treatment for sexually transmitted infections is vital to one out of five teenagers. More than half of all students in grades nine to 12 have had sexual intercourse at least once. Nearly three-quarters have had sexual intercourse by grade 12. Each year, 3 million teenagers contract sexually transmitted infections. Many of these infections have no symptoms. Left untreated, they can cause serious health problems including infertility and cervical cancer.
Minors can be treated for sexually transmitted infections without parental consent in all states. Some states set no age limits. Minors can receive treatment at Planned Parenthood health centers, other family planning clinics, and “sexually transmitted disease clinics” sponsored by hospitals or local health departments.
Public health laws require health care providers to report certain infections, regardless of the age of the patient. Sexually transmitted infections that must be reported include syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, HIV, and AIDS. In most cases, names are not reported. The information is used by public health officials to track the spread of infection.
Some urban public schools are linked to special health clinics to offer teenagers assistance with sexually transmitted infections, safer sex information, pregnancy concerns, and other health-related matters. There are now more than 500 of these across the country—some located in school buildings. They have helped reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
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