NPRJune 19, 2019
Dr. Krystn Wagner said young people who aren’t ready to reveal their sexual activity to family may not seek out something like PrEP if they need a parent’s consent. And soon, they may not need one. “If parental involvement served as a barrier to their having access to something that would prevent a lifetime infection, I think it’s a pragmatic and empowering option to give teens,” she said.
In general, minors can’t make medical decisions without a parent or guardian’s involvement. State and federal laws have made some exceptions, including for the testing and treatment for sexually transmitted disease.
But PrEP is an HIV preventative medication, which is why Jay Sicklick, attorney and director of the medical-legal partnership at the Center for Children’s Advocacy, said state laws need to be amended in order to catch up with the advancements medicine.
“The problem was that this area of prophylaxis doesn’t easily fall within the definition of care or treatment, because it is not in fact care or treatment for something to prevent the transmission of a disease,” he said.
Sicklick worked with Wagner on the legislation, which got strong bipartisan support in the legislature. It also helped that the FDA officially approved PrEP for minors just last year — before that approval, Sicklick said that was a big roadblock for the bill in past years.
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