You and the law: teenagers, birth control and the nurse.

Today's teen-agers do need access to contraceptive information. 8 years ago in Canada, there were 14,801 illegitimate births among mothers between the ages of 15 and 19. Changes in Canadian abortion laws have resulted in a decrease in the number of illegitimate births since then, but the need for contraception continues as indicated by the 12,481 therapeutic abortions performed on adolescents in this age group in 1974. Teen-age male as well as female adolescents need counseling in the area of sexual conduct regarding the prevention of pregnancy and venereal disease. Despite school-sponsored classes in sexual development, teen-agers continue to have misconceptions concerning pregnancy and birth control. Effective teaching and counseling as preventive measures are critical, and the nurse has a key role for often she provides the counseling. Sensitive listening and open communication are important elements in dealing with young people. It is important for nurses to be aware of their own personal attitudes and biases regarding human sexual conduct, and these personal views should not be imposed on patients. A sensitive, open, and non-judgmental approach is necessary with adolescents. The minor's capacity to give consent to treatment is of major relevance, for without consent a physician or nurse may incur liability. While some provinces allow teen-agers under the age of majority to give a valid consent to treatment, most provinces restrict capacity to give such consent to those who have attained the age of majority. Physicians and nurses frequently do deal directly with minors without parental consent, yet the number of reported legal cases in Canada remains miniscule, possibly because parents eventually recognize the need for contraception in their sexually active teen-agers. Once parental involvement is refused by the teen-agers, the teen-agers should become the primary patient and confidentiality should be respected.