Confidentiality and Contraception: Protecting Adolescent Care in Response to One State's "Parents' Bill of Rights".

PURPOSE: This study aims to analyze parent responses to current strict Oklahoma confidentiality and consent laws in an outpatient subspecialty setting. METHODS: A consent for treatment form including an explanation of the benefits of qualified confidential care for adolescents was given to parents of patients under 18 years of age. The form asked parents to waive the right to access confidential portions of the medical record, be present for the physical exam, be present for risk behavior discussions, and consent for hormonal contraception including a subdermal implant. Demographic information was collected using patient medical records. Data were analyzed using frequencies, chi-square, and t tests. RESULTS: Of the 507 parent forms, 95% of total parents gave permission for providers to have confidential conversations with the patients, 86% allowed providers to examine the patient alone, 84% of parents allowed providers to prescribe contraception, and 66% gave permission for subdermal implant. New patient status, race, ethnicity, assigned sex at birth, and insurance type did not correlate with parents' willingness to provide permissions. There was a statistically significant difference between patient gender identity and percentage of parents who granted permission for a confidential physical exam. Groups more likely to discuss questions about confidential care with the health care provider included parents of new patients, Native American and Black patients, and cisgender female patients. DISCUSSION: Despite laws that limit adolescent ability to access confidential care in Oklahoma, the majority of parents who were provided an explanatory document allowed their children the right to access this care.

Emetophobia: A case of nausea leading to dehydration in an adolescent female.

Emetophobia is defined as the specific fear of vomiting and avoidance behaviors related to vomiting situations; the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, specifies this condition as a Specific Phobia: Other type: Vomiting (SPOV). Our case report describes an adolescent presenting with medical complications, specifically notable dehydration, due to new onset Specific Phobia: Other type: Vomiting after experiencing a bout of viral gastroenteritis. In this patient's case, her severe anxiety served as the root cause for a significant decrease in her quality of life for a year and was not identified by healthcare providers until after an extensive medical workup had taken place. Treatment involved alleviating her dehydration with slow introduction of foods with high water content into her diet and addressing her anxiety with hydroxyzine as a short-term intervention and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for long-term management. This treatment plan allowed for our patient's symptoms to resolve over the course of a few months and she was able to return to her usual activities of daily living. With discussing emetophobia, this case highlights a topic that is not largely discussed in the literature surrounding adolescent health.