Polish adolescents' right to confidential primary health care is not respected despite high public acceptance

Aim The right of underaged patients to confidential health care should be considered an inalienable human right. Access to such care is also advisable according to contemporary medical knowledge. The aim of this study was to verify the extent this right is exercised in Poland and to examine social attitudes towards this issue. Methods A sample of Polish school-age pupils and parents (n = 800) was surveyed using an online questionnaire. Results Only 4.2% of the surveyed adolescents were offered private time with a doctor during their last preventive visit (well-child visit), and this was more frequent for girls. At the same time, a very high level of acceptance for private time with a doctor was observed among Polish adolescents (90.8%) and their parents (84.3%). Conclusion Our findings suggest serious deficiencies in the protection of adolescent patients confidentiality. It is necessary to change medical practice and adapt legal regulations to the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.