The teachers who teach peer health for freshmen in Chicago Public Schools are pushing new minors’ rights for students.
The Peer Health Exchange flyer says minors over the age of 12 have the right to mental health counseling; screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs); substance use treatment; birth control, including emergency contraception; and pregnancy testing and prenatal care without parental or guardian consent.
Mental health counseling includes up to eight 90-minute mental health counseling sessions for ages 12 to 16. Minors can also access more than those eight sessions if the provider deems it in the minor’s best interest or if parental involvement would be detrimental to the minor’s well-being.
“There are also medical treatments to affirm someone’s gender identity including hormone replacement therapy; however, consent can vary based on the type of treatment for someone under 18,” the flyer says.
The flyer notes that parent or guardian consent is required for inpatient mental health treatment if the minor is under the age of 16, however, if the minor is 16 or older, consent is not needed, but parents may be notified.
“A parent or legal guardian must provide consent on behalf of a minor before healthcare services are provided, with several important exceptions(,)” the flyer states.
Those exceptions include sexual assault services, emergency contraception, abortion, substance use treatment or HPV vaccines.
Sexual assault care at any clinic does not require parent or guardian consent and when it comes to emergency contraception, there is no age restriction, prescription or consent necessary to obtain Plan B One-Step or similar over-the-counter emergency contraception.
Pertaining to abortion, parents and guardians must be notified 48 hours prior to the procedure, but their consent is not required and the notification can be waived by a judge.
Minors over the age of 12 also do not need consent from parents or guardians for substance use treatment. Pertaining to the HPV vaccine, parents' and guardians' consent can be bypassed because the vaccine is something that young people should have access to, the flyer states.
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