TITLE 31 HEALTH

Section 17. Control of Venereal Disease, 31-17-1 through 31-17-8.

ARTICLE 7 EMERGENCY CARDIAC CARE CENTERS

31-17-7. Consent of minor to medical or surgical care or services; informing spouse, parent, custodian, or guardian.

1. The consent to the provision of medical or surgical care or services by a hospital or public clinic or to the performance of medical or surgical care or services by a physician licensed to practice medicine and surgery, when such consent is given by a minor who is or professes to be afflicted with a venereal disease or at risk for HIV, shall be as valid and binding as if the minor had achieved his or her majority, provided that any such treatment shall involve procedures and therapy related to conditions or illnesses arising out of the venereal disease or HIV diagnosis which gave rise to the consent authorized under this Code section. Any such consent shall not be subject to later disaffirmation by reason of minority. The consent of no other person or persons, including but not limited to a spouse, parent, custodian, or guardian, shall be necessary in order to authorize the provision to such minor of such medical or surgical care or services as are described in this subsection.
2. Upon the advice and direction of a treating physician or, if more than one, of any one of them, a member of the medical staff of a hospital or public clinic or a physician licensed to practice medicine and surgery may, but shall not be obligated to, inform the spouse, parent, custodian, or guardian of any such minor as to the treatment given or needed. Such information may be given to or withheld from the spouse, parent, custodian, or guardian without the consent of the minor patient and even over the express refusal of the minor patient to the providing of such information.

(Ga. L. 1971, p. 337, §§ 2, 3; Ga. L. 2016, p. 752, § 2/HB 1058.)

The 2016 amendment, effective July 1, 2016, in the first sentence of subsection (a), inserted "or at risk for HIV", inserted "or her", and inserted "or HIV diagnosis".