As your child grows up, their relationship with their doctor changes. In Oregon, state laws give minors specific rights regarding their medical privacy and their ability to agree to certain types of care.
We want to help you navigate these changes so you can support your child’s health while respecting their growing independence.
Understanding Consent: What Your Child Can Decide
In Oregon, “consent” means a patient understands a treatment and agrees to receive it. Depending on your child’s age, the law allows them to consent to certain services without a parent or guardian present:
- Age 15 and Older: Teens can consent to their own medical and dental care. This includes treatment for illnesses or injuries, well visits, and immunizations.
- Age 14 and Older: Teens can seek outpatient mental health, drug, or alcohol treatment on their own. Our providers strongly encourage teens to involve their families for support whenever possible.
- Any Age: Minors of any age can access reproductive health services, such as birth control and STI/HIV testing and treatment.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a legal promise between a doctor and a patient. For minors 14 and older, personal health information generally cannot be shared (even with parents) unless the teen gives their consent.
A Note on Safety: While we respect your teen’s privacy, we are “mandatory reporters.” This means if we have a serious concern about your child’s immediate safety (or the safety of others), we are legally required to break confidentiality to keep everyone safe.
Changes to MyHealth Proxy Access
To follow Oregon’s privacy laws, your access to your child’s online health records changes automatically as they get older:
- At Age 14: Parents and guardians automatically lose “proxy access” to their child’s MyHealth account.
- Restoring Access: If you and your teen decide you should still have access, your teen can sign a consent form to restore your view of their records.
- Encouraging Responsibility: We see this as a positive step toward adulthood. Managing their own account helps your teen learn to be responsible for their own well-being.
We’re Here to Help
We know these transitions are a big change for any family. Our goal is to provide a safe environment where your teen can learn to manage their health while still having you in their corner.
If you have questions about these rights, privacy changes, or how to use the MyHealth app together, please let us know. Thank you for trusting us with your family’s care.
Resources:
- Understanding Minor Consent and Confidentiality in Health Care in Oregon (Oregon Health Authority)