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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: S Afr Med J. 2016 Feb 2;106(3):256–259. doi: 10.7196/SAMJ.2016.v106i3.9877

Table 1.

Ages of independent consent to sexual and reproductive health services[5]

Health intervention/
service
Age at which a child may consent
independently to health intervention/service
Contraceptives and contraceptive advice 12 years
HIV testing 12 years, or <12 if the child has ‘sufficient maturity’
Termination of pregnancy No set age of consent
Medical treatment 12 years, and the child must demonstrate ‘sufficient maturity’
Male circumcision 16 years
Operations 12 years, and the child must demonstrate ‘sufficient maturity’
Research 18 years