April 11, 2005

  • Quick question: what is the age of consent to medical responsibility (i.e. how old do you have to be for it to be YOUR decision to receive/deny treatment, rather than your parents' decision) where you live.


    I can't think where I'd go looking for that information for the UK (no, actually, ignore me, I can).


    And as for the US and Canada?  No idea.


    xxx

Comments (3)

  • My assumption is that it would be once you're considered an adult, which is 18 here, but I'm not 100% sure. Seems like something easy to Google... if I had time.

  • In the U.S. the age of consent for medical treatment is generally, but not always 18.  If a girl under the age of 18 is married (or in some cases pregnant), it is common for the law to treat her as an  emancipated adult and therefore capable of giving consent for treatment.  Additionally, many states have lowered the age of consent for medical treatment under certain circumstances in which parental involvement has been seen as a barrier to treatment and to the greater public good (this generally has concerned issues such as child abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, drug and alcohol abuse, etc).  Here's a few links with information about consent in the U.S., in the U.K. and in Australia:

    http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic740.htm

    http://www.brook.org.uk/content/M5_3_consenttreatment.asp 

    http://findlaw.com.au/articles/default.asp?task=read&id=10022&site=CN 

      

      

  • As I understand it, it is 16 here in UK (did you want to know that) but younger if you are considered to be Gillick competent as I understand it. Eg a 14 year old can give or withold consent if the doctors believe they are capable of making the decision it's a bit of a grey area. I think the Gillick case actually revolved around the provision of contraceptives to underage girls. I'm a bit hazy about it all though. Why do you want to know?

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