Should Adolescents Make Autonomous Medical Choices?

Freedom, in itself, is a basic human right. Without freedom, you cannot pursue life as it was meant to be lived. Adolescents, no matter what age, race, or gender, should have the freedom to choose the way they live out their days autonomously. Therefore, I believe that adolescents should have the right to make autonomous medical choices if they are mature enough and can understand the consequences of the decision about to be made.
“Freedom is a sacred and inalienable right that all human beings possess. It is the power to act according to its will, while respecting the law and the rights of others” (Humanium). As minors, we are presumed to be incompetent and unable to make the correct decisions for ourselves. By the time children become adolescents, they are able to comprehend and have mature conversations about their wishes for end of
Physicians, as well as parents, don’t always let the pediatric patient into the discussion. “Ethical and legal issues arise from the fact that many terminally ill adolescents, less than 18 years of age lack ordinary legal authority to make binding medical decisions, (including discontinuation of their treatment), yet they meet functional criteria for having the competence to do so” (Freyer). If the physician thinks that the minor is mature enough to understand their medical condition and can express their wishes, it is the physician’s ethical obligation to honor it. This in turn could cause severe legal issues for the physician by going against what the parents think is right for their child. On the other hand, if the physician carries out the parent’s wishes, they would have to ignore their ethical obligation to the patient. This makes the decision easier for both the physician and the parent to leave the adolescent out of the conversation which in turn, gives the patient little to no say in what they