Reproductive health services for adolescents. Critical legal issues

The contemporary legal and policy environment has increased the challenges associated with providing health care services to the adolescent population. The issue of reproductive health care services is particularly intense because of the controversial nature of services for contraception and abortion. As the debates continue, one must remember the background against which they are occurring. The current legal framework, developed over nearly 40 years, enables adolescents who are minors to give their own consent for care in numerous circumstances and provides them with a significant level of confidentiality protection, particularly for reproductive health services. Laws have been enacted to expand adolescents' financial access to health care, through targeted publicly funded service programs and expanded health insurance coverage. This background provides the foundation for addressing the current challenges and for protecting and expanding adolescents' access to care.