The Ethical Problems Of The Models Of Autonomy And...

Introduction Ethical problems present conflicts of the models of autonomy and beneficence. Adolescents as well as minors present a particular complication, which is struggling with autonomy. Healthcare providers are torn between their own moral codes that may lack consistency in their actions and opinions. The prescription or act of seeking out contraception or birth control is taken as an example of a common ethical dilemma. According to Duvall, â€Å"Adolescence is a complicated period of emotional, physical, and psychological maturation (Duvall, 2015). They try to understand themselves while pressured by sex, drugs, peers, and alcohol. Katherine Ryan is a 15 year old from Pennsylvania, who presents to the clinic seeking information about†¦show more content†¦Title X funding assists individuals and couples in planning and spacing birth (Duvall, 2015). By law, the clinician can also prescribe oral or any other forms of contraception to a minor without parental consent. This paper will examine autonomy amongst minors/adolescents in pediatric nursing who request birth control from healthcare providers. Katherine’s right to contraceptives even though she is a minor is her autonomy as described in the ANA Code of Ethics. The dilemma presented in this case is as follows: Katherine is a minor under law and has received treatment and an injectable contraceptive (Depo-Provera) without parental consent. Do the parents need to know about Katherine’s visit to the clinic? According to Boonstra, â€Å"Legally speaking, only 25 states have laws that explicitly gives minors the authority to consent to contra ceptive services, although no state explicitly requires parental consent for any contraceptive services† (Boonstra Nash, 2000). Ethical Dilemma In the United States, individual states hold the power to determine when a child is no longer a minor. A majority of the United States considers this age as eighteen years old, anyone younger than eighteen requires a parental consent for any type of medical therapy. Exceptions to this law may apply if there is a medical emergency and parent or guardian is not present, child has been emancipated, or the law recognizes the minor in