Ethical Approaches to Adolescent Participation in Sexual Health Research

It is argued that requiring parental consent for adolescent participation may be unwarranted, be inconsistent with the principles of justice and inclusiveness, be confusing, and serve to silence young people who most need to have a voice in sexual health research.

Abstract

Institutional review boards and researchers should be encouraged to adopt localized context-dependent strategies that attend to the unique vulnerabilities of their particular study populations. Attention to flexibility, vulnerability, and community-specific needs is necessary to ensure appropriate ethical research practices that attend to the health and well-being of young people.