The Importance Of Health Care

From the time a child is born in our world, the parents feel responsible and compelled for its safety and well being. Especially when it comes to a child health, parents feel an extra bit of pressure to be perfect in this job. But as your child enters teen years or pre teen years they start grasping the basics of medical concepts and want to manage their own health care.
In their article “Would I attend Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)? Fourteen to Sixteen Year Olds Decide” Joanne Evans, Moli Paul and Joanne Evans discuss how UNICEF and Department of Health have acknowledged this fact that young people and children do have a right to take decisions in their healthcare. It was found in this study that sixteen years old do think about their health and can make important decisions about them. I am in support for letting the sixteen years old take decisions about their health. It is important for the teenagers and pre teens to have access to his medical data than to inform his or her parents about the condition first. (Bailey, 1999) Sometimes health issues like sexually transmitted diseases and being sexually active are issues the teenagers don’t want to discuss with their parents. These issues bring psychological and emotional problems along with them therefore the teens tend to avoid involving their parents in these situations.
At the government level it has always been a debate whether minors should be given a right to take control of their health. In Australia the youth and child health community in the year 1998 organized a workshop that guardianship is necessary for consent. Since then there is a divided front on this issue. (Casimir, 1994)The healing process and the wellbeing of a person is not only a clinic...

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...their child is not old enough to decide but demonstrating respect to their views will allow them to convey their views in a better way. Health practitioners should encourage independent relationship with the youngsters.
Parents should always keep in mind that by letting their teenagers take charge of their health they are helping them and guiding them towards a healthy future. As decisions regarding sex, exercise, smoking, drugs, healthy eating and alcohol can have long term results. (Weithorn, 1982) But if they are more involved in their health care they will come to know about the potential effects and what impact can they have on their life. Whether teen years is the best age to give them control can be difficult question to answer for any parent but they need to learn to relinquish their control thus making their teenager more responsible for their own health.