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Question: Does a girl have the right to see a doctor to see if she is pregnant without her parents knowing?

Answer: In Arizona, unless a girl under age 18 is married, is in the armed forces, or unless her parents have acted in such a way that they lost parental rights (all three of these mean that she is an emancipated minor) it is unlikely that she can get medical care of any kind without her parent's consent, and therefore without their knowledge. A doctor cannot treat a patient without the consent of the patient, and a minor is probably not able to give consent under the law. (This is different for a girl over the age of 18, who is an adult and can do what she wants to do.)

A parent has the right and the duty to care for and control a child until they turn 18. This extends to making decisions about her medical care.

If a girl is in need of medical care (a pregnant girl needs prenatal care) and the parent is not providing it, then the girl may be able to get help from the state. However, this cannot be done without the parents knowing about it.

Although not specifically asked, abortion is a topic important to this answer. According to Arizona law (ARS ยง 36-2152), a minor cannot have an abortion unless she has written consent from one parent, or her guardian, or if a judge authorizes the abortion. This law allows a minor to file a petition for a hearing at which time the judge will decide if an abortion should go forward without the consent of the parents. This hearing can take place without the parents being informed.

A doctor may perform an abortion without permission from the parent or from a court if the minor certified to him that the pregnancy resulted from sexual conduct with a parent, stepparent, uncle, grandparent, sibling, adoptive parent, legal guardian, foster parent or a person who lives in the same household as the minor and her mother. He must then make a report to law enforcement officials, who will investigate.

A doctor may also perform an abortion if he believes, based on his review of the medical records of the minor that there is a medical condition that makes it necessary for an immediate abortion to save her life, or where delay will create a risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of major bodily function.


Comments
26 thru 30 of 38 comments
On 11/07/03
pete from AZ said:
Not allowed to see a doctor without the parents knowing? That's bizarre and wrong. Any self-respecting doctor will go around the law to help a young girl anyway. The law isn't more important than health.
On 11/05/03
Morty from AZ said:
What if your parents are religious wackos and won't give you consent to have an abortion? You should be able to get it done nonetheless.
On 10/07/03
kandi from AZ said:
i was told by a doctor in az that girls can go to the doctor and get help if there pregnent or wanting birthcontrol with out there parents knowing
On 10/06/03
Moniuqe from OH said:
well I not trying to tell anyone how to control their lives but I think you should tell yours perents if your pregant because you owe it to them to tell them the truth no matter what if you know your going to be big and bad and have sex you shold take your pushiment I didn't know that at first i had sex with out protection and i was one of yhe lucky ones because i could have gotten pregant but that was not on my mind at the time becaue all your thing about is he loves me and he'll never hurt but 9/10 thats not always true
On 09/19/03
Amber from AZ said:
Im 15 and pregnant and my mom knows i am pregnant but i dont want her to go to the doctors with me but at least my boyfriend is there to support me and the baby some teenage girls boyfriend just run because they are scared I thought he was going to do that but he didn't he helps me alot I live with him
26 thru 30 of 38 comments



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