Doctor's Help Teen Lie to Parents about Back Alley Abortion | Chicago Med | MD TV 

Dear God, if my girls had ever been that scared to tell me that or anything else, I would have considered myself a failure as a mother.

If a patient is crying not to tell her parents, you don’t tell them. This could be so dangerous

When I was 16 I had a miscarriage and the doctors didn’t say a word to my parents. I had a D&C done and they put it in my records as something different. So they never knew until I told them 10 years later what happened. Doctors are there to help you. Not ruin your life.

Hold up, hold up, hold up. She straight up called her daughter a murderer but is tricking her husband with a child that isn't his? My my, how our morality flip flops when the light shines on us. That mother should be ashamed of herself. There should have been way more understanding and honesty. Maybe if she was honest, Jenny would not have hidden this from them.

I’ve had an abortion, I was terrified to tell my parents. They kicked me out when my sister told them what happened. This girls fear is so real.

He was so caught up on telling the parents that he didn't actually care about the patient's needs

Her first thought "she's a murderer" Let that sink in.

This is awful. I has been hospitalised after a failed suicidal attempt when I was 14 I asked the doctor to keep it confidential. I told them if my dad ever found out his will kill me. Many doctors including the head of psychiatry came to talk with me. I told them my reasons and they came to the same conclusion "my parents should be kept in the dark for my own safety". Fortunately I have a chronic illness so they came up with "we want to do more tests and keep an eye on her" they kept it out of the records too. I'm grateful for their understanding and if it wasn't for their understanding I'm sure I won't be here today.

Here in Australia, once you turn 14, you are entitled to a certain amount of privacy with regards to doctors visits - my girls were both given the option to have a doctor's consultation without me or my husband present if they wished it. Once a teenager turns 16, they are able to give consent for their own medical procedures (including an abortion) without parental consent or knowledge. If you are under 16 and want to access birth control or abortion without your parent's knowledge, you can apply to the Children's Court for an order, which is kept confidential from everyone (including your parents). So there is a system in place to protect vulnerable children in these circumstances.

Doctors should be obligated to not disclose abortion/pregnancy at the patients request. You don’t know what’s going on at home or the parents beliefs. They could pressure her, take away her autonomy, regardless of her wants. Doctors should offer as much guidance and resources as possible to ensure they make intelligent informed decisions, but telling the parents… you could ruin her life.

There are so many layers to this case and I don't envy anyone. First, we've got Jenny, who is sick and afraid that her parents won't love her anymore. We've got her mom, who doesn't approve of abortion, is lying to her husband about him being the father, but also wants the doctors to save her daughter's life. We have the father, who doesn't know what's going on at all. We've got Dr.Manning, who wants to do something morally right but legally wrong, Dr. Choi who doesn't want to break the law, and Miss Goodwin, who understands all sides but has to be honest in her work as well. Poor Jenny's desperation was heartbreaking to watch. Edit: Holy crap, I've never gotten this many likes before! Thanks!

the fact that she would rather die than tell her parents...

There are some things you should not tell the parents if the patient says no. You have no idea how the parents will react once they get home.

Anyone who automatically assumes all parents love their children clearly hasnt been raised by narcissists

Dr Choi has obvs never been a teenage girl with a super overbearing parent.

I mean, tell them without telling them. "There is excess tissue attached to her uterine lining that is not being expelled properly. It's causing hemorrhaging and possible infection so needs to be removed manually through a medical procedure". No *explicit* lies, but vague enough to protect her privacy and possibly safety.

Pediatric ethics is a very convoluted field, and this is a perfect example of that. The essential question being asked is "at what age does a patient's autonomy and privacy trump parental rights?" There are laws that help guide practitioners in these cases, but also a TON of gray area. Super interesting, from a cognitive angle

Ethan made me so mad here. Like I get he’s a doctor and all but he doesn’t understand what women go through with things like that. How scary it can be. Especially with this, they should have 100% respected her decision. There should be privacy laws when it comes to pregnancies and abortions for women of all ages (unless it’s very young girls then that’s a whole other thing)

The dude doctor was wrong. Minor or not, confidential info is confidential info. If a patient tells you no, ITS NO.

Mom: "it's time we tell your dad the truth, Jenny!" Jenny: "you first Mom!" 😬🤯

If she's old enough to get herself pregnant, old enough to self abort, than she's old enough to have her doctors do as she wishes.

I had a miscarriage @ 16 in the hs bathroom. Four days later I ended up in the er. Had to have a D&C never once did they say anything in front of my parents and they filed it under something different so that my parents wouldn’t find out. I’m 26 now and they still don’t know.

If this was a real case, I’d be scared for the girl’s safety if the parents were told the truth. I used to be a trauma therapist and worked with adults who came from all sorts of abusive and awful childhoods. Often kids who get the best grades come from the worst families due to fear and control. Not all parents are capable of love. Some are only concerned for their kids as a future retirement fund. Many parents maintain a good public image of the perfect family dynamic but you never know what goes on behind closed doors. There are cases where daughters have literally been beaten to death… And if a child was that afraid, it indicates the parents are likely extremists. There are also kids who would rather die than tell their parents the truth about something… Also, I hope this case doesn’t scare anyone. There are many doctors out there who are aware and would help the patient and try to work through loopholes, because they have seen the devastating results of abuse/violence in hospitals. It’s awkward Dr.Choi would be that oblivious.

Ethan is so innocent... parents have turned on their kids for getting pregnant as a teen and it's never good for anyone. If the teen is absolutely terrified of how her parents will act with that info you'd be better off listening. My parents were and still are the same way with young pregnancies or kids out of marriage because they are heavily religious. Their rage is why I stayed single till after highschool and college. I'm early 20s now and unmarried so still no kids for me...don't want that judgement in my life.

I think the mom knows, by the way she keeps looking at the doctors. She at least knows there’s something going on that the parents aren’t being kept in the loop on. That actress’ nonverbal cues are on point!

The parents just needed to give consent for the medication/dnc. Why? Without it she would just get sicker and sicker and could die at which point the doctors have to give her treatment even without parental consent. There is literally no logical point to telling the parents other than to shame her. What were the parents gonna do, say no just to torture her?

I can't even imagine how much one has to *FAIL* as a parent in order for their kid to be so afraid of them finding out... Not even my father, with whom I have a *FAR FROM PERFECT* relationship I wouldn't be afraid of in such a scenario. Ashamed - yes. Afraid, crying? No. With my mother, she'd be the first to know.

Whew that ending. 😬 talk about a plot twist.

Where I live, from the age of 14 a teen can get gynecological, mental, and most other medical care without the consent of a parent. And it can all be done confidentially so the parents can not call in and gain access to the medical files. Major surgery must have a parent’s consent but they can even go to the ED for care without their parents.

This is utter BS! The patient comes first. A child as young as 9 or 10 can ask for their parents to leave the room. Based on what the doctor who is in direct charge of the patient (and there is NEVER 2 ER doctors taking care of one patient, there isnt enough time or resources for that!) if the doctor in charge of the patient, deems them to be able to understand their choices and make a decision based on what they are told, the child can bypass the parents and make tbeir own choices! And since this girl is what, 17 as she states she is graduating, she is plenty ond enough to make her own medical decisions!!! I hate shows that pull BS for drama!

I was 21 when I suffered a miscarriage… a miscarriage I hid from everyone in my life. It wasn’t until 5 months later that the truth came out after suffering a massive emotional breakdown…

Why are her parents there during the exam. That does not happen in real life.

Legally even minors have a right to privacy over their reproductive systems.

In my country, when you're sixteen and you seem to be mature enough to be able to handle your own medical issues you are allowed to do so. Thanks to this, I got help for my anxiety and depression without my mothers knowledge since she never supported me in this.

I worked at Walgreens n let me tell u we were always out of that plan b .. it's scary

Nope this isn’t the truth the pregnancy is her emancipation of her privacy. And it’s a huge HIPPA violation of confidentiality! They needed to be careful with the case… this is crazy…

"She's worried you won't love her anymore." "Oh good cause that's true. I hate the little murdering affair baby."

Wait wait wait so the girl got an abortion and now we find out that her supposedly father is not her father!?!😭

Oh poor baby feeling like that. I have always said to both my children that they can tell me anything. Holding on to all that fear must have been awful for her. The mum did the right thing to help her.

Not her calling her daughter, a murderer, and she is literally lying to her husband about being the father 😮😧😦😯

Oh, I just want to give Jenny a hug; this made me cry. Even though this is fictional, things like this happen often.😢

If the minor had the right to confidentially, this would let minors know that it would be safe to look for proper medical treatment. But if the minor sees that all information will be given to a legal guardian despite being against thier consent, then the guradians should not be surprised if the minor decides to take drastic measures by themselves to deal with thier issue (ie: back alley abortions, unsafe medication, unsafe medical procedures not done by professionals, suicide, etc). Not every parent is logical or supportive. Many are abusers, or due to certain beliefs would rather leave thier child in a dangerous state instead of making the proper choice. I would prefer my child to seek professional medical attention themselves instead of fearing of what could potentially happen if I was go8ng to be told something against to thiet consent, instead try something dangerous like try an unsafe procedure themselves. Minors should have the right to say no, especially in something that concerns thier own body/life. How can you call yourself a guardian if you are not willing to support or accept your ninor's decision? Having a guardian telling you what to do is not the definition of support. They are demanding a choice without taking the minor's perceptive. Or force them to go through with something they don't want to? How will that impact thier mental health? Thier adult life? Trust issues? Family relationships? Also all patients gave a medical record. If something happens latter on, a doctor can look at the record without needing to rely on the parent, especially if the parent doesn't have all the facts straight. What if the situation was reversed? What if the minor wanted to keep the baby and thew parents wanted the abortion? Would say that minor still has no rights to make thier decisions?

I can see this from both sides. On the one hand, yes, they should respect the patient’s wishes, but on the other they have an obligation to tell her parents if it means saving her life. It was just a sticky situation to be in for everyone. As far as the abortion goes, the baby was already dead, she just needed to get the last of the tissue out. I may not agree w/ how she went about this, but what’s done is done. Being pro-life means wanting everyone to live, that includes the mother.

Wow shocker! When the mother looked at her daughter in the room she already knew!

This is confusing, because I feel like both my doctor and mother told me that once you are about 16 HIPPA entitles you to medical privacy, even from your parents. My doctors would ask permission to share things with my parents. I’m surprised they legally had to tell her parents.

My daughter had an abortion at 17, persuaded by her 52 yr old impregnator. He told her not to tell me as it would upset me as we had recently lost my husband, her father. I found out only when he dumped her by text message. 😢

I really hate the whole bs 'I know yourself scared but they love you' talk. NO you DO NOT know. You cannot 'know' what parents are like more than the child🙄

The mom crazy, and Jenny is not a murderer

Love how those not liking abortion cause it’s “murdering” are the same ones to not be protesting for better accessible birth control.

A major problem with not letting parents know is if there is any issues later they have no way of knowing what to do or how urgent it is to get specific treatment.

So sad and backwards they could have lost their daughter do to stipid principles i am pro choice

Well apparently this year Illinois just repealed its abortion notification law for minors, meaning that they can now legally receive an abortion in Illinois without notifying a parent or guardian.

Im sorry for every child who has ever had doctors go behind their back and tell their parents 😔 i know exactly what that is like.... and in 2022 things are only going to get worse... if anyone is ever a minor who is kicked out because of this situation I have been there... life will get better about 15 years later unfortunately.... THIS ISH SUCKS 💔

I love how they slipped in a quant HCG (blood pregnancy test). And that brief look the docs gave each other. They had suspensions, but didn’t want the parents to flip out.

Weird thing to acknowledge but s/o to the show’s casting for finding a woman and girl who really do look like mother and daughter

This is why Pro-Choice is a thing. Going through an abortion surgically/done by medical professionals is much safer than doing this. All the policies in the world won't stop this from happening. I get it, it is a difficult subject and both sides have strong reasons, but having the option available is significantly safer than doing it the Back Alley way.

Dr. Choi seems really determined to get this girl killed, what a dick.

Calls her daughter a murderer then gets confused on why her daughter would think she’s not loved anymore. 🙄

I don't get why they couldn't just say that it was a miscarriage that didn't clear out all the way. That way she would still need the D&C but she wouldn't have to worry about the parents judging her for having an abortion.

She's like 16/17 right? I guess it's different in Illinois, but here in Colorado once a kid turns 16 the parents don't get to know anything unless the kid wants them to, even with basic care like annual checkups.

Hoping i never encounter a doctor like that guy, such an AH. Mind your business and do what the sick person is asking you to do. Why does he feel entitled to ruin the lives of 3 people?

The amount of people in this comment section who argue about teen girls having to face the ‘consequences’ of sex make me sick. A baby is a HUMAN BEING, not a form of punishment, and for you to want to potentially condemn that innocent human being to a terrible life is honestly sick and immoral.

Ethan is the worst character I swear. He is so judgmental of everyone, including patients. And puts his own "moral highground" before the wishes and safety of his patients.

It's a pity that this isn't streaming anywhere I have access to. What ultimately happened, did the dad find out, both truths, and what was the conclusion to the episode?

Living in northwest Indian it’s how it be. I pass between both states for a lot of things. Thank god my i can talk to my parents about these things.

Woah! Mama was deceptive as well. Like a Lioness trying to pass of the child of another into the Lions pack.

A doctor should tell the patients parents the truth don’t lie and a parent has to have a consent for a doctor to give medication to a patient

"But doesn't he have the right to know... As her father?" No. No, he doesn't. End of story. Wtf.

Given today's climate concerning reproductive rights, it's scary that a hospital now has to consult its attorneys before providing lifesaving medical care.

Well damn!!! I wasn’t ready

I can appreciate that the docs know enough alphabet tests to rattle off that they can cover up the icky stuff when the parents are in the room.

Dr Choi proves to be the world’s biggest AH YET AGAIN.

Well well well…look who’s throwing stones, straight up from her very own glass house!!

If someone is that terrified of their parents knowing then respect that their life may actually be in danger .

Brooo the ending. Their faces at the end🤣

The whole time watching this I’m like she know that mom knows

Dr. Choi is such a buzz kill

The mom really took that family secret and pulled a uno reverse on it.

I was hospitalized at 15 once and I asked the doctor to get my mom to leave the room because I didn't want what the doctor and I discussed to be known by my mother because my mother has always been so controlling and judgmental of me. I'm 20 now and the doctor never told my mother what I told her. Pediatric medicine is so messed up in so many ways, but even if they are a minor, they should have the right to have confidentiality between them and their doctor, at least at a certain age.

My face is swollen from the slap I received at the end. PLOT TWIST LIKE A MUG!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

There was one point where the parents were leaving the room and the mom had a look on her face, my first thought was "mom either knows or she will understand ".

Expect more of this, welcome to Gilead, 2022

The intensity

Of course it's the MAN that is pushing for details and to tell the parents. If they were good parents, that situation wouldn't have needed a D & C either way. If they'd taught actual birth control methods, and given access to those resources, this situation wouldn't have happened at all. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️

This male doctor is completely out of line. "Doesn't he have the right to know?" Mind your own effing business. You're a doctor, not their marriage counselor or bff.

that last line is a punch in the face

Man, this whole thing is one messed up scenario with the daughter getting pregnant, aborting the baby, then we find out the mom carried someone else’s child. Much as I might not agree with this, it was the right thing.

With Roe v. Wade being overturned, I'm afraid more and more of this unspeakable horror will be our norm.

With Roe vs Wade now repealed, we are likely going to see this scenario becoming distressingly more common.

idc. if i were a doctor, i’d risk my license before endangering a child that’s crying and begging me not to tell their parents about something like this.

My niece is 9yo and I have full custody of her and her 15yo brother. If she ever feels that she couldn’t come to me if she got pregnant then I know I’ve failed. I have tried my best to make them know there is nothing on this planet they could do that I could ever hate them for. Thankfully my nephew trusted me enough to ask for condoms and was honest when he thought he was going to have his first time (thankfully the girl didn’t go thru with allowing it) and I was able to educate him on safety and explain that it wasn’t a good idea but if he was going to do it that there are risks and serious consequences. I hope by the time Lissy is this age she’ll come to me too when she’s ready. I’m horrified to imagine what could happen if she goes into this blind.

Idk where they are but in CA they only need the patients consent considering she’s probably 16/17

the male doctor is horrible instead of respecting his patient and her needs he feels the need to interject his feelings on the matter it is her body

I never watched the full episode, but i cant help but feel like the mom knows whats going on. Even if she didn't hear it from her daughter

I lived in the states and when I was 14 I was given medical autonomy, my parents wouldn’t have any access to my medical records I could refuse having them in my room etc, and everything legally was confidential unless I opted them into the information

Y'all are fighting in the comments over a parent's right to know medical info missing the biggest issue here & im looking at my 1 year old daughter thinking about what if she were to get pregnant underage & what kind of parent I am if she didn't feel comfortable coming to me...maybe if you want to know everything about your child, you should have a healthy close relationship with your child so you'd get important information from the source... your child. A child should be able to trust their parents, the girl in the clip did not. I want my baby to trust me so we'd never end up in a situation like this.

This is going to be more common now that Roe v Wade has been overturned.

I had an abortion without my mom knowing when I was a teenager. She was so against abortion that I never even told her I was pregnant because I knew she would have made me keep it. Having an abortion saved my life, and I have absolutely no regrets.

This could have gone so incredibly wrong..

Poor kid.