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Is it legal to prescribe a minor puberty blockers without their parents' knowledge or consent? Is there an age limit?

Semi-related example: In Germany, it is legal to prescribe girls birth control pills without their parents' knowledge at the age of 14. Is this case in the US or the UK for hormone blockers?

The Times claims that at least in the UK, you can get hormone blockers even if your parents are against it.

Parents’ consent not needed to block puberty, say judges

This is a purely legal question out of curiosity.

ohwilleke
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stupidstudent
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1 Answers1

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In the US, the answer is complicated. First, puberty blockers are approved by the FDA, but only as a treatment for precocious puberty. There is an off-label use for transgender people, which has been outlawed in some states (thus parental consent / notification is irrelevant). That leaves us with general parental consent laws. This document summarizes the laws of various states regarding parental consent, where again it depends on the specific state whether parental notification or consent is required (and at what age). As you can see, the laws are very complex, involving different ages for different treatments. In Washington, the age of consent for outpatient medical treatment is 13. In Nevada, parental consent is required until age 18 except for emancipated minors and for limited medical purposes (emergencies, substance abuse and STD treatment...).

user6726
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