An underage patient asks you for a birth control prescription but asks that you not tell her parents. What do you do?
The way you approach this question will vary, depending on the region where you are interviewing or practicing medicine. You will want to consider privacy laws and the age of consent. Show that you would ask the right questions and take the time to lay down proper groundwork before prescribing anything to your patient. For instance, it would be essential to find out why your patient wants birth control and why she does not want to tell her parents.
"I fully believe in a patient-centered approach, so I would first ask my patient why they want the birth control. Is it for regulating her cycle, or for family planning purposes? I would ask questions to ensure she is in a place of consent if the reasoning were due to sexual activity. Any patient is within her rights to ask for confidentiality; however, I would inquire as to why she does not want her parents to know. This inquiry will help me to understand if she needs referrals to additional resources for family planning and sexual health. In our region, healthcare laws specify that minors can obtain treatment for STIs and family planning, which includes contraceptives and pregnancy-related treatment. These laws allow doctors to maintain confidentiality from their underage patients' parents legally."
