The ruling judge recognised that without the guarantee ofconfidentiality, young people might not get the quality advice they needor be tempted to take risky action themselves.
However, the case brought by Sue Axon also highlighted the fact thatthere is still an alarmingly high number of young girls facing difficultdilemmas that they are unwilling to discuss with their parents. And theneed for education, advice and support is as great as ever.
To meet these needs, it is important that we now move beyond the"either ... or" debate on confidentiality and start thinking more abouthow parents and professionals can work together. This starts witheducation, ensuring young people have the knowledge to avoid unwantedpregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and the confidence todiscuss their needs with adults. Much of this will be learned at home.In addition, comprehensive personal, social and health education inschools is vital to ensure that every young person has the skills tomanage their lives.
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