In an ideal world, teenagers would not be engaging in risky sexual activity and would not be catching sexually transmitted infections (STIs). But we do
What awful news. It’s always been 13 here since I had kids, the age you can go to the STD clinic at the county, and have limited medical privacy. I used to give my kids flyers for their friends so they would know. It does make for some odd effects (there are 5 years when we can’t use the online health portal at all because the kid is old enough that I can’t login and see their info but not old enough to have their own login.) but overall seems like the right age.
Presumably when you have kids you know you are growing them into adults, right? You can’t keep them children right up to 18 then suddenly expect them to be adult, nothing good can come from that.
Even if not. The kids who need the privacy are the same kids with the parents fighting to remove it, no doubt. All those “parental notification” rules are evil for the same reason.
If your kid felt safe telling you, they would tell you! My kids could talk to me, and did, but I always let them know that confidential testing and treatment was available for $30 from the county clinic (that charge was for all the tests plus any uncomplicated treatment, or education and referral for more complicated treatment). I used it plenty as an adult, way cheaper than the doctor for all the tests to make sure all ok before a new relationship.
What awful news. It’s always been 13 here since I had kids, the age you can go to the STD clinic at the county, and have limited medical privacy. I used to give my kids flyers for their friends so they would know. It does make for some odd effects (there are 5 years when we can’t use the online health portal at all because the kid is old enough that I can’t login and see their info but not old enough to have their own login.) but overall seems like the right age.
Presumably when you have kids you know you are growing them into adults, right? You can’t keep them children right up to 18 then suddenly expect them to be adult, nothing good can come from that.
One big problem is the parents could very well be the ones who gave them the STD.
Even if not. The kids who need the privacy are the same kids with the parents fighting to remove it, no doubt. All those “parental notification” rules are evil for the same reason. If your kid felt safe telling you, they would tell you! My kids could talk to me, and did, but I always let them know that confidential testing and treatment was available for $30 from the county clinic (that charge was for all the tests plus any uncomplicated treatment, or education and referral for more complicated treatment). I used it plenty as an adult, way cheaper than the doctor for all the tests to make sure all ok before a new relationship.