Confidentiality Concerns and Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Among Adolescents and Young Adults Aged 15–25

Confidentiality concerns can impact adolescent and young adults’ access to sexual and reproductive health services. Young people who are covered by their parents’ private health insurance may be deterred from obtaining these services due to concerns that their parents might find out about it.  Similarly, confidentiality concerns may arise because youth seeking such services may not have time alone during a visit with a health care provider.

A new NCHS report describes two measures related to confidentiality concerns and sexual and reproductive health care.

Findings:

• About 7% of persons aged 15–25 would not seek sexual or reproductive health care because of concerns that their parents might find out about it.
• For females aged 15–17 and 18–25, those who had confidentiality concerns were less likely to receive sexual and reproductive health services in the past year compared with those without these concerns.
• Less than one-half of teenagers aged 15–17 (38.1%) spent some time alone in the past year during a visit with a doctor or other health care provider without a parent, relative, or guardian in the room.
• Teenagers aged 15–17 who spent some time alone during a visit with a health care provider were more likely to have received sexual or reproductive health services in the past year compared with those who had not.