Adolescent consent: choosing the right path.

The aims of this article are to summarize the reports from various organizations and existing research applicable to the concept of adolescent consent, and to assemble guidelines to aid in consent decisions for research that focuses on adolescents. The regulations from the United States Department of Health and Human Service and the National Commission for Protection of Human Subjects are reviewed, along with legal, ethical, and research-based issues associated with obtaining consent from adolescents. A set of guidelines has been compiled to provide direction for the appropriate consent process with this special population.