WHAT'S NEW

NEW!  This manual describes consent to treatment law for minors involved in the California juvenile justice system, including consent to mental health services, psychotropic medication and reproductive health care, among other topics.  download PDF

A similar manual describes consent to treatment law for minors involved in the California Foster Care System.  Download PDF.

On March 23, 2009, a federal court ordered the Food and Drug Administration to reconsider its decision to restrict adolescents from accessing non-prescription emergency contraception.  It also ordered the FDA to make non-prescription Plan B available to young women 17 and older within 30 days. To read a Washington Post article on the ruling, click here.

Prop 4 Fails – Third Time Parental Notification Measure Defeated at the Polls

Youth Law News July-September 2008 - California voters rejected for the third time a proposed initiative that would have required minors to notify their parents 48 hours before getting an abortion. Like the two that preceded it, the latest proposition would have amended the California Constitution to remove rights currently guaranteed adolescents. To read Youth Law News Article, click here.

A study by the Centers for Disease Control released March 11th 2008 estimates that one in four (26 percent) young women between the ages of 14 and 19 in the United States – or 3.2 million teenage girls – is infected with at least one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, herpes simplex virus, and trichomoniasis). To read  an article about teen access to the HPV vaccine, click here.

A study published August 1st 2008 by the Centers for Disease Control found that the percentage of  high schoolers who are sexually active or have ever engaged in sexual intercourse has gone down since 1991.  Unfortunately, the same study found no reduction in the prevalence of risky sexual behavior.  The New York Times suggests that this may be one reason there has been an increase in diagnosed HIV and AIDS cases among teens 15 to 19 years old.  To read the New York Times article, click here.  To see the CDC report, click here.

The Problem with Private Insurance
Youth Law News April-June 2007 - On June 8, 2006, the FDA approved the first vaccine against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). With its status as a vaccine recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, Immunization Advisory Committee, the HPV vaccine should be easily accessible. However, its high cost is becoming a barrier to care.