An unemancipated minor may consent to outpatient treatment for which of the following conditions?

• A. Custodian for their own child
• B. Pregnancy
• C. Treatment for sexually transmitted infections, substance use, or mental health
• D. Routine adult health maintenance

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is that some laws let unemancipated minors consent to certain outpatient medical care without a parent’s involvement, to make it easier for them to seek confidential help for sensitive issues. In many jurisdictions, the services explicitly allowed for minor self-consent include treatment for sexually transmitted infections, substances abuse, and mental health concerns. That’s why this option is the best answer: these are the types of outpatient care that minors can usually consent to on their own.

The other scenarios don’t fit that pattern. Caring for their own child would involve a parental responsibility, not a health care decision the minor makes for themselves. Pregnancy care isn’t automatically covered by minor self-consent in all places, and routine adult health maintenance isn’t appropriate for minors, who aren’t considered adults for those purposes.