Question

A 17-year-old girl presents to her primary care physician with a complaint of missed menses. A urine pregnancy test confirms that she is pregnant. She returns to the office two weeks later asking for recommendations on obtaining an abortion. She explains that she works, lives with her husband, and is not ready for a child. She decides that she does not want to notify anyone, and says she has chosen not to talk with her parents for many months. Her doctor understands that he must abide by her wishes because she is emancipated. Which of the fol- lowing makes this patient emancipated?

(A) Age 17 years is considered an adult

 (B) Full-time work
(C) High school diploma
(D) Living separately from her parents

 (E) Marriage

Answer 1

The correct answer is E. Emancipation is a legal definition through which minors become independent of their parents and are free to make medical decisions for themselves. A mi- nor, which is a legal condition defined by age, can generally acquire emancipation through court order or marriage. These situations usu- ally suggest that the minor will be financially independent of his or her parents. This patient is married and is therefore emancipated.

Answer A is incorrect. While this patient has many adult responsibilities, 18 years is the le- gal age of consent and adulthood.

Answer B is incorrect. Full-time work suggests that the patient is financially independent, but taken alone it is not proof of emancipation.

Answer C is incorrect. A high school diploma does not provide emancipation. Even though a minor becomes the primary decision maker af- ter high school graduation, he or she is not nec- essarily financially independent of the parents.

Answer D is incorrect. A teenager may state he or she has separated from the parents, but unless the courts have approved a legal separa- tion, merely saying she is “separated” from her parents is not enough; legally the parents are still financially responsible for the child until he or she turns 18.