STOP Minor Consent For Medical Treatment In North Carolina
A Loophole in the NC Parents Bill of Rights Allows Your Child to Consent to Medical Treatment at ANY Age, Without You Being Informed.
URGENT Call To Action!
Parents for Kids Health stands with other members of the NCPFF’s Health Coalition that this loophole must be closed as the age of consent MUST be set for 18 years old, at a minimum. The NC Health Coalition has hosted online meetings for legislators to help inform them about this, and other, important topics but we need your help!
This loophole, in the 2023 Parents’ Bill of Rights, focuses on a North Carolina law that grants children of any age the authority to consent to measures related to communicable diseases, pregnancy prevention and treatment; substance abuse, and emotional disturbances.
Medical facilities have leveraged this law to sideline parental decision-making on matters such as vaccines, antidepressants, birth control, and various therapies the minor child’s decision. In October 2023 Atrium Health initiated a policy for employees that denied parental access to their 12-17 year old children’s prescription, by November 2023 that was walked back but in a very limited way.
North Carolina legislators are actively seeking to address this loophole. Considerations for different age thresholds, for different medical services, are being discussed. All of this assuming minors, including those with developmental disabilities, have the capacity to even understand what medical choices they are making.
The numbers of children within the United States with chronic health conditions are increasing. The CDC puts the number of school aged children with one chronic illness at more than 40%. Chronic refers to a health condition that lasts anywhere from three months to a lifetime. How can children be expected to consent to invasive medical procedures without parental guidance?
Due to this loophole, that was obviously known when the bill was introduced and passed last year, healthcare providers have the ability to coerce children, of any age and capacity, into consenting to a variety of medical treatments. There was an opportunity to close this loophole in the NC House Standing Health Committee but a lone Chair disputed, now our collective voice must be heard by the NC Legislator!
Legislators must right the wrong they left open in the Parents Bill of Rights so parental rights and children’s wellness are protected through a consistent age, this should be a non-negotiable. The age of consent for all medical therapies should unequivocally be set at 18.
Contact your state representatives to close this loophole, now! Use the link below to find your Rep.
HEAL NC, in partnership with Stand for Health Freedom, have provided a simple way to contact your legislator. Use the link below this HEAL NC CTA statement to be directed to the Stand for Health Freedom website. After entering your info phone script will populate.
HEAL NC Call to Action:
A little-known law in NC gives children of any age in NC the right to consent to vaccines and other controversial treatments without parental knowledge or consent. This is NC law, right now, today! The large hospital systems have started using this law to cut parents out of their children's health care. NC legislators are talking about how to fix this egregious law, and we must weigh in to let them know children cannot consent until age 18.
Background: The 2023 Parents’ Bill of Rights supposedly gave parents the right to make healthcare decisions for their children. However, it included a shocking loophole that gives children consent for vaccines, antidepressants, birth control, and other therapies without parental knowledge or consent.
This means children can consent to dangerous medical treatments behind their parents’ back OR they can be coerced into consenting. Will children have the courage and fortitude to decline medical interventions under pressure from providers or authorities?
The House is debating how to “plug the loophole.” Everyone agrees that the current minimum age of child consent of zero is a problem. However, rather than assigning 18 as the age of consent for ALL medical services, they are considering arbitrarily assigning different ages for different services.
HEALNC believes that consent for ALL medical therapies must be 18. There is no younger age when children are ready to make such a risk/benefit analysis about their health. (In fact, 18 is arguably too young for many youth for such a decision.)
The debate is happening now. Let’s shut down the switchboard at the legislature. Let your legislator know TODAY that children must be 18 to consent to ALL medical therapies.
This is an "all hands on deck initiative," please share this action step on your social media pages and with your neighbors and friends.
