Stephen Donnelly, the minister of health, has stated that he intends to give 16-year-olds free contraception, reports RTE.
According to him, a 16-year-old is considered an adult in a medical environment, such a general practitioner’s office, and is allowed to see a doctor without the presence of a parent or guardian.
“At 16 years of age, a young woman in Ireland today can go into her GP and say she’s pregnant and she wants to avail of a termination of pregnancy, and those services will be provided to her quite rightly,” the minister said, reports RTE.
Mr. Donnelly stated that young ladies of that age ought to be eligible for free contraception if such services were being provided to them.
He stated that the free contraceptive program had been “very positive” for women between the ages of 17 and 25, but he also mentioned that there were complications for younger age groups.
“It’s something we’ve been discussing in the Department of Health for quite some time,” he said, reports RTE.
“Some very legitimate concerns have been raised with me among some healthcare professionals. These are around legal complexities, the age of consent being 17, and then there are medical ethics and the various principles that are used in medical ethics,” reports RTE.
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