When Did a 13-Year-Old Become an Adult?
Once again, I feel like Walter Sobchak.
I actually am open to learning about this. Why? Why would California do this? Is this really about privacy or to promote more minor gender dysphoria? What the hell am I missing here? There is NO way a 13-year-old has the capacity to make ANY decisions on their own. They are emotional, stupid, erratic, and influenced by social contagions. That’s why parents are needed to help. So, help me understand this.
(Imagine being caught in the middle was a physician? I am so glad I am retired and not from California).
Not every issue in Authentic Medicine has to be linked to gender dysphoria, intrusion of evil government, greedy insurers, vaccinations or scope creep.
Sometimes it’s just about serving our patients.
I’ve been a family medicine physician for over 30 years. I agree, completely, with Sudha that teens often have many deeply personal issues and questions that they want to discuss with someone they trust–their physician. Some are afraid they may be pregnant, have an STI or want to discuss ways to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Some may have been harmed or abused by a parent or family member.
Doug is correct–as physicians entrusted with such personal and private information, we don’t run to the parents to tell on the kids. BUT, in the days before electronic records, we had paper charts which were not easily available for perusal from parents or outsiders. With today’s EMRs, there is no privacy and precious little security. There are also many micro-managing parents who wish to intrude into every aspect of their child’s patient-physician relationship.
The other comments placed above have validity, but (as with so many things) there are often more complex aspects than a simple trope or jab can address.
This rule is pure b.s. as you would expect from Kaiser P. or other behemoths. If a parent is financially responsible for a kid until he/she is 18, then they need total access to said kid’s medical care/records. I wish somebody could block marijuana from developing brains until they are 25, but in California that’s a non-starter!
The Wisconsin governor just vetoed a law that a teenager could get a job without parents permission. So the same minds who say they are not mature to get a job say they are mature enough for everything else.
For those of you arguing confidentiality… We can no longer chart objective remarks about the patients behavior, that could protect us in a later lawsuit as the patients can read notes online too.
It’s not about gender dysphoria, but an attempt to get kids to be open about their social lives. Are they having sex? Are they drinking? smoking, vaping, trying other drugs? Trying to get piercings/tattoos? Or much less controversial–arguing with their friends, having issues on TikTok, have a crush on someone in their school? Sometimes they’re just concerned about whether their body is developing normally. So if they can have a confidential forum to ask all sorts of questions, the teen can hopefully feel more free to open up. Most pediatric offices will start a patient alone visit (at least for part of it) starting at the 12 year old well–check.
With the advent of online platforms in which you can ask your doctor/team questions–I assume that Kaiser is trying to recreate the experience of being able to ask the doctor questions confidentially.
Where are the studies that proved this was needed? I was a family doctor for 30 years and never ran to tell the parents issues unless they needed to be involved. You made some good points but was there really need of a law? No, I still think this was the gender dysphoria radicalists pushing it.
But they can’t see an R rated movie until they’re 17, buy glue until they’re 18, or drink a beer until they are 21.
Yes, it would be interesting to hear the arguments from any physician who supports this seemingly nonsensical rule.