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In Ontario Canada, if a 15 year old have gonorrrhea and tell the nurse to keep it confidential. Should the nurse inform her parents or inform the Public Health Authority or the community physician? Thanks for your reply

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

Doesn't the doc do that?

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Specializes in SICU, PACU, Public health.

I know we don't tell parents anything unless the patient agrees to it. Now as far as reporting it to other authorities we do send a statistical record to some authority (but I do not personally, we have a district person who handles stuff like that. ) But NO we do not tell parents, not for anything that has to do with family planning or STD. We can't even aknowledge someone is even at the health department due to HIPAA

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Thanks for the reply, but in this case is a 15year old client, she's still

an adolescence. I think the parents should have the right to know rhe diagnosis of their daughter and i don't know if this kind of disease is notifiable, that's why am confused. It's an exam question. Please help me out.

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Specializes in SICU, PACU, Public health.
Thanks for the reply, but in this case is a 15year old client, she's still

an adolescence. I think the parents should have the right to know rhe diagnosis of their daughter and i don't know if this kind of disease is notifiable, that's why am confused. It's an exam question. Please help me out.

adolescent or not, we do not have a right to violate HIPAA in such matters of birth control and STD. We have clients as young as 12 who are having sex asking for birth control. We do not have the right to contact the parents if they state so. Here is a link that addresses that-there is a federal prgram called TITLE X. http://www.reproductiverights.org/pub_fac_titlex2.html If there was not some form of safe haven of confidentiality for these adolescents, then chances are they might not get treated and spread the disease or risk possible infertility issues in the future.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Keep in mind the OP is talking about Canada - is the law different than in the US?

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Specializes in cardiac, ortho, med surg, oncology.

are you asking out of concern for the patient or for taking boards in the US?

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It's an exam question in Canada

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Specializes in OR, and more recently PACU and SDC.

You still CANNOT violate the privacy of the patient. It is reportable, the physician responsible to the pt. will do the reporting.

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