Parents Conflicted About Teens' Private Conversations With Health Care Providers

TUESDAY, May 26, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- While most parents agree that providers should talk privately with teens during health care visits, many simultaneously express hesitancy, according to the results of a survey released by the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.The poll, administered in February 2026, included responses from 1,169 parents with at least one child aged 13 to 17 years living in their household.According to the results, 93 percent of parents reported their teen had a check-up/preventive care visit in the past two years, and most (91 percent) said they attended that visit along with their teen. Among parents who attended their teen's most recent preventive care visit, just over one-third (35 percent) said the provider talked privately with the teen, without the parent in the room. This was more common for older teens (ages 16 to 17 years) than younger teens (ages 13 to 15 years; 41 versus 29 percent). The most common reasons for not having private time included the provider did not offer (62 percent), the teen was not comfortable talking privately with the provider (26 percent), the parent was not comfortable with their teen talking privately (11 percent), and unsure (14 percent). While more than two-thirds of parents (68 percent) agreed that it is important for providers to talk privately with teens during health care visits, parents expressed concerns about health care privacy and confidentiality for teens, including the teen getting advice or treatment the parent does not approve of (39 percent), wanting to know what their teen is up to (28 percent), and believing it is their job as a parent to monitor their teen's health care (67 percent). More than nine in 10 parents (92 percent) said they should have a right to see their teen's medical records up to age 18 years."Providers may be missing opportunities to normalize private conversations as a routine part of adolescent care and encourage teens to share concerns more openly," Sarah Clark, Mott Poll codirector, said in a statement. "Clear communication from providers may help families better navigate the balance between supporting teen independence and maintaining appropriate parental involvement."More Information.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Parents Conflicted About Teens' Private Conversations With Health Care Providers

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