The GNR Empire

Lauren Diehl January 10, 2004 Honors English, Block One A mother has noticed that her 15 year old child has recently been acting strange. He'll stay out past curfew and when he returns home, his eyes are bloodshot, and his speaking is slurred. His weight has also decreased, and his attitude has changed. The mother suspects that her child may be doing drugs, and so, she decides to hustle him over to the family doctor. While there, the mother questions the doctor about drug tests. The doctor answers her by saying that since her child is over the age of 13 he, or the mother, cannot test the child for drugs without the approval of the child. Minors’ consent for medical care has been a difficult issue for a number of years. Presently in the state of Pennsylvania, minors must give their approval in order to be tested for drugs, STDs, and pregnancy. If they refuse to be tested, then, well, they simply won’t be. But, is this right? Shouldn’t a parent/guardian have the right to know whether or not their child has an STD, is pregnant, or is possibly using drugs? A parent/guardian having the ability to know whether their child has an STD, is pregnant, or is using drugs would benefit the child, the parent/guardian, and quite possibly other people in a number of ways. Knowing (through testing, of course) whether a child is pregnant, has an STD, or is using drugs would allow parents/guardians to punish their children for their wrongdoings, in hopes to get them on the right path of life. It would also give parents a chance to help their children with either preparing for a child, coping with and treating an STD, or recovering from drug usage, for if a parent/guardian did not know, for sure, if a child was pregnant, had an STD, or was using drugs, they would not be able to help them. Finally, parents/guardians have the responsibility to care for their child, and so by knowing whether or not their child is pregnant, has an STD, or is using drugs would allow them to do their job as being a legal guardian over their child. It is almost always assumed that a child at the age of 14 is living under their parent(s)/guardian(s) roof. Rules are usually put in place and they are meant to be followed. When rules are not followed, there are consequences (or punishments). Most, if not all parents/guardians would consider it “breaking the rules” if their child (female, in this case) went out, had sex, and ended up getting pregnant. The same would go for drug usage and for having sex and contracting an STD (although some STDs can be contracted in a nonsexual manner). The problem here is that it is not always apparent whether a child has been using drugs or whether a child (again, it would have to be female in this case)is pregnant, at least in the first few months of pregnancy. Because of this, parents/guardians are not able to punish their child, which is a key piece in helping a child develop into a responsible adult. Children are supposed to make mistakes (although, something as extreme as getting pregnant could be placed under the “disaster category” rather than the “mistake category”) and in reaction to that parents/guardians are supposed to punish them, talk to them, and help to set them straight. Ultimately, it is the child’s decision whether or not they follow the right path, but a parent’s/guardian’s intervention can help greatly to sway the child into the right direction. Yet since, it is the child’s decision whether or not to be tested for pregnancy, STDs, or drugs, they can actually escape punishment, for a punishment can’t be handed out by a parent/guardian if they are not sure whether or not a child has done something wrong. This can end up totally ruining the parent/guardian-child relationship and quite, possibly, the life of the child. “Drug use is responsible for a high number of dropouts, teen pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, suicides, and death by drug overdoses.” “States have traditionally recognized the right of parents to make health care decisions on their children’s behalf, on the presumption that before reaching the age of majority (18 in all but four states), young people lack the experience and judgment to make fully informed decisions.”

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