Why we ask for time alone with your teen

From about age 12, part of every checkup is time alone between your teen and their provider. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends it for every adolescent. It is not about shutting parents out. Teenagers are far more likely to be honest about sleep, mood, alcohol, vaping, relationships and safety when a parent is not in the room, and those are the conversations that matter most at this age.

How the visit works

1. Together first. We start with everyone in the room: health history, any concerns you have, and anything you would like us to raise.
2. A few minutes one-on-one. You step out, and we talk with your teen on their own, then do the exam.
3. Together again to agree the plan, vaccines and next steps.

Most of our teenagers see Dr. Priya Raghunathan. At the start of the one-on-one time she tells them plainly what she can keep private and what she cannot, so there are no surprises later. You can read more about our adolescent care.

What stays confidential, and what does not

Private: most of what a teen tells us, from questions about their body to worries about friends, school or sex.

Not private: anything that suggests a serious risk of harm. If a teen tells us they are thinking about hurting themselves or someone else, or that someone is hurting them, we act to keep them safe. Wherever it is safe to do so, that includes bringing you in. We tell teens this up front.

What Oregon law says

Oregon lets young people consent to some kinds of care on their own. In broad terms:

• At 15 and older, a teen can consent to most medical care (ORS 109.640).
• At any age, a young person can get birth control and be tested and treated for sexually transmitted infections.
• At 14 and older, a teen can consent to outpatient mental health and substance use treatment (ORS 109.675). The law expects parents to be involved before treatment ends, unless there is a clear clinical reason not to.

One practical point: insurance statements usually go to the person who holds the policy, and they can list services. In Oregon, anyone covered on a family plan can ask the insurer to send their private health information to a different address. Ask us if you or your teen want help with that.

At 18, your child is a legal adult. From then on we need their permission to share their health information with you, even though many families carry on much as before.

What we ask about

Every teen visit covers the same ground, so no one is singled out: home, school, activities, sleep, eating, mood, screens, alcohol and drugs, relationships and sex, and safety, from seatbelts to how firearms at home are stored. From 12 onward, teens also fill in a short questionnaire on mood each year, because depression in teenagers is common and often quiet.

How parents can help

• Tell your teen ahead of time that there will be time alone, so it does not feel like a trap.
• Share your worries with us first. Raise them at the start of the visit, or call beforehand. We can bring them up without saying where they came from.
• Do not quiz them in the car afterwards. Asking “How did it go?” is fine. Asking “What did you tell her?” makes next year’s visit harder.
• Let them take over gradually: checking in at the desk, answering questions first, eventually booking their own visits. By 18 they will need to.

Sources

• American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: One-on-one time with the pediatrician
• Oregon Health Authority: Understanding minor consent and confidentiality in health care in Oregon (PDF)
• Oregon Revised Statutes: ORS 109.640 and ORS 109.675
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988lifeline.org