Prevention Specialist and Advocate

You work as a prevention specialist and advocate in an agency that provides social services to adolescents (e.g., HIV testing, pregnancy testing). One of your teen clients, Nadir, a 16 year old Arab-American male, who identifies as homosexual, has tested positive for HIV and has not discussed his HIV status or his sexual orientation with his mother and father yet. His mother discovered the receipt for his anonymous test results in his pants pocket and called demanding to know the results.

1. Discuss the ethical and legal issues presented in the scenario. What advice would you give to your client about the family members attempt to gain access to his/her personal information? How would you handle the situation with the family member? Please include specific minor consent laws in your state and cite your reference.

2. Using systems theory or other relevant theories, explain how this challenging situation could be an opportunity to build family support and a strong support system for the client. Remember that every situation presents some opportunity for growth.