GPs should not have to report every case of underage sexual activity they become aware of to police, the British Medical Association has told MPs.
The union has raised “serious concerns” about government proposals to mandate such blanket reporting, as they said it was “common” for children under the age of 16 to be sexually active with people two years older than them, despite this being classed as statutory rape.
The British Medical Association claims this would break patient confidentiality and would risk losing the trust of minors who seek help for their sexual health.
Doctors should only be required to report cases of suspected abuse, they added.
The proposals, part of the Crime and Policing Bill, would require doctors to report all instances of underage sexual activity to the police or social services, The Telegraph reported.
Mandatory reporting would apply in cases where one partner is over 18 and the other is under 16, as well as in any situation involving a child under the age of 13.
In a written submission to MPs, the union said it supported the principle of mandatory reporting on child abuse, “subject to a number of prerequisites”.
“We do, however, have significant concerns about the impact on doctor/patient confidentiality of the proposal in the Bill, which would introduce a mandatory duty to report consensual underage sexual activity whether or not there is any suggestion of abuse,” the statement said.
“We are strongly of the view that a doctor should only inform the police or social services of underage sexual activity where they have concerns that the young person is being abused.”
The submission said the Bill in its current form “would require doctors to report to the police or social services any disclosure of sexual activity between, for example, a 15-year-old and an 18-year-old, even if the relationship is consensual and there is no risk of harm present”.
The British Medical Association said the Bill should be “amended to either exclude doctors from the duty to report or to extend the exceptions to include consensual sexual activity where there are no concerns about abuse or exploitation”.
As it stands, they said the requirements could “severely damage trust between young people and doctors” and could lead to an increase in sexually transmitted diseases or unplanned pregnancies.
