Youth Law News  January-March 2011
The federal Title X family planning program makes family planning and related health services available for free or at low cost to eligible individuals, including adolescents, in every state. The statutes and regulations implementing the program include consent and confidentiality rules designed to reduce barriers that limit adolescents' access to care and to protect the privacy of those who choose to receive services. In some states, these rules provide greater access to confidential family planning services than that available under state law. Click on title above to read more.

California’s teen pregnancy rate declined by 52 percent between 1992 and 2005, the steepest drop registered by any state over that period—and far above the national decline of 37 percent. Public health experts credit this record decline to California’s aggressive and evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention efforts dating back to the 1990s.

In California, minors have a right to attend confidential medical appointments during the school day.  This document describes the parameters of that right.

Two page summary of the history of adolescent access to abortion in California.

California law on parent access to adolescent health records

On March 23, 2009, a federal court ordered the Food and Drug Administration to reconsider its decision to restrict adolescents from accessing non-prescription emergency contraception.  It also ordered the FDA to make non-prescription Plan B available to young women 17 and older within 30 days. To read a Washington Post article on the ruling, click here.

In both 2005 and 2006, Californians voted on measures that would have restricted a minor's right to choose.  While both ballot measures were soundly defeated, the supporters of the two failed measures want to try again.  They have proposed a new initiative that they hope will go on the November 2008 California ballot.

Parent interest in an adolescent STD vaccine

Voters rejected initiative that would have required parental notification before abortion.

Summary of California's minor consent and confidentiality statutes in chart form.