This fact sheet was written by Kimya Forouzan. It was edited by Ian Lague.
All 50 states and Washington, DC allow minors to consent to sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment without parental consent. (By contrast, minors’ access to other types of reproductive health care, such as contraception and abortion, is strictly limited in many states.) Despite this relatively broad access across the United States, some states allow minors to consent to STI testing and treatment only if they are a certain age, and others allow health care providers to inform the minors’ parents or guardians about them accessing these services. In addition, some states require parental notification under specific circumstances, such as a positive HIV test, if the provider believes the minor is in danger, or if the minor has been the victim of a sexual assault.