Can Teenagers Participate in Research without Parental Consent?

Abstract

* An investigator at a university medical school posts notices recruiting subjects for venipuncture. Payment will be $5.00. A 16-year-old freshman in the college sees one of the posters and wishes to participate * An investigator wants to survey attitudes about abortion in a group of 16-year-olds who have had firsttrimester abortions. These young women are now patients in a family planning clinic, and their parents do not know about their abortions or that they are now receiving contraceptives. * A political scientist wants to survey a variety of people in the community, from junior high school students to senior citizens, to find out what percentage approve of the guarantees in the Bill of Rights or even recognize it when they see a copy. One group he wants to include is 16-year-old volunteers at a day-care center, all of whom are taking a required high school civics course.