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Ethics & Law · single question

A 14-year-old presents for a dental cleaning, is pregnant, and is accompanied by parents who do not know. The most appropriate action is to:

  1. Maintain confidentiality and encourage her to tell her parents
  2. Have the assistant inform the parents
  3. Tell the parents yourself that she is pregnant
  4. Refuse to treat until a parent is informed
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Maintain confidentiality and encourage her to tell her parents

  • A. Correct – respect adolescent confidentiality (varies by state/emancipation) while supportively encouraging her to disclose to her parents; do not breach confidentiality unilaterally.
  • B. Incorrect – delegating the breach is still a breach.
  • C. Incorrect – disclosing without consent breaches confidentiality.
  • D. Incorrect. Refusing care and breaching the adolescent's confidentiality is inappropriate; maintain confidentiality while encouraging her to involve her parents.

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