Health Services staff shall obtain informed consent before reporting prior sexual victimization not occurring in an institutional setting unless the inmate is under what age?

• A. Under 18
• B. 18 or older
• C. Under 16
• D. Under 21

Answer: (A)

The key idea is consent when sharing information about prior sexual victimization that happened outside the institution. PREA allows health services staff to obtain informed consent before reporting such information, but there’s an age-based exception: if the inmate is under 18, consent is not required because reporting obligations for minors apply.

So, the exception applies to anyone younger than 18. For inmates 18 or older, staff must obtain informed consent before reporting. This aligns with mandatory reporting rules for minors while protecting the autonomy of adults.

Why the other thresholds don’t fit: the standard does not use under 16 or under 21 as the baseline, and it does not require consent for those who are under 18; it instead hinges on the 18-year cutoff.