Mature Teens

As I finish up the semester, I've been working on numerous research papers and projects. For my Lang 120 class, my topic focuses on the issue of adolescents making decisions in health care. I have found in my research that the brain of a minor goes through significant development throughout puberty. By the time they reach the age of 16, they are fully capable of making logical health decisions when properly informed by their parents and physicians. I've found that while teenagers are still going through development (for their emotional and social skills), they have fully developed parts of the brain that allow them to make reasonable choices.

The more I look into this subject, the more I want to prove it true. I believe I was a reasonably responsible 16 year old and that not much has changed in my decision making. However, simply because adolescents are capable of making the right decision, does not necessarily mean that they always do. In the right environment and proper technique in nurturing from the parents, the teenager will be much more likely to make good decisions. Just because they know what the right thing to do is, doesn't mean they will always do it.

So now I ask, what do you guys think? Do you think that you were mature enough at 16 to make your own health decisions (for the ladies, what if you became pregnant)? Can you think of any situations you know where an adolescent showed a considerable amount of maturity? Let me know! Have a great weekend. :)