Ethics and Minors

Term Paper # 104808

Child, Youth Issues > Teen, Adult Issues
Ethics
Medical and Health > Nursing

Ethics and Minors

This paper looks at a legislative issue and discusses the matter of contraceptives furnished to a minor.

1,608 words () | 4 sources | APA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that the current health care issue which needs to be brought to the attention of legislators and for which nurses need to develop a political action plan is the availability of contraceptive supplies or procedures to minors. The writer points out that many states recognize that parents should have the right to make health care decisions for a minor child but that in certain cases, the minor needs access to confidential services. The writer discusses that under the Title X family planning program instituted in 1970, contraceptive services and other reproductive health care services have been available to all individuals who need them, irrespective of age. Meanwhile, the writer notes that debates over parental consent or notification have been taking place at both the state and federal level, and that states tend to favor parents taking responsibility for the decisions of their minor child.

From the Paper:

"On the basis of Greipp's model, the consumer forces driving the policy consist of teenagers who have made the decision to become sexually active as opposed to parents who wish to have the responsibility for their children's choices. In many cases, the consumer includes the entire community which believes that parents need to either make or at least collaborate with their adolescent children about major decisions. Motivators include parents' desires to influence their children regarding the most significant decisions of their lives. Motivators also consist of parental concerns for the current and future physical and psychosocial wellbeing of their children.The ethical principle of beneficence and the moral theory of deontology also can be motivators for both parents and the community as they strive both individually and collectively to fulfill what they perceive as their obligations to their children. "

Sample of Sources Used:

Boonstra, H. & Nash, E. (2000). Minors and the right to consent to health care. The Guttmacher Report on Public Policy, 3(4), 1-5.
Davis, C. (2003). Minor rights versus parental rights. Midwifery & Women's Health, 48(3), 170-177.
Greipp, M. (2002). Forces driving health care policy decisions. Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice, 3(1), 35-42.
Guttmacher Institute (2007). Minors' access to contraceptive services. State policies in brief. http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_MACS.pdf