When TikToker Jasmine (@jayepherce) worked at a med spa, she was seriously tempted to break HIPAA because a young girl was in the process of being groomed.
As an employee at a med spa, she was required to adhere to HIPAA because some of the treatments they did were considered medical treatments.
One day, a young girl came in with her mom for her 18th birthday to get laser hair removal. Her mom waited in the lobby as the girl described to Jasmine what procedures she wanted done.
They also chatted about the girl’s plans for her birthday. She told Jasmine that she was going to hang out with her boyfriend. Her mom didn’t know about her boyfriend because she wasn’t allowed to date yet. She was in the band at school, so Jasmine thought she was a cute dork.
She revealed that she was in an age-gap relationship. Her boyfriend was 45 years old and married with two kids. They met through the Pokémon Go app and had a real connection, so they exchanged contact information.
Apparently, he was unhappy with his marriage and was in the process of getting a divorce.
She met him when she was 17, and he didn’t like her talking about their relationship to anyone, but she felt comfortable enough with Jasmine. Jasmine asked what they did when they hung out together. He would pick her up from the park, drive around, and sometimes grab food.
Then, she said that he was going to take her to her first concert, and she was super excited about it. She then added that she didn’t really want to get laser hair removal, but her boyfriend preferred it.
Her friends also don’t know about the relationship because her boyfriend wanted to keep it a secret. She was head over heels in love with him and planned to marry him one day.
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Jasmine was getting really angry at this man and did her best to stay composed. She asked the girl what her plans were after graduating from high school. She explained that she got into college, but her boyfriend didn’t want her to go.
Eventually, he was going to get her an apartment and a car, so she could move out, and they could get married. But it would take some time because he didn’t make a lot of money.
“I’m screaming inside because the poor wife,” said Jasmine. “Your 45-year-old husband is messing with a 17-year-old, and you have two kids at home.”
“This poor girl—he really messed with her head. Like, I can’t even judge her because she’s just a baby; she’s 17. She doesn’t know the implications of her actions.”
When they walked out of Jasmine’s office, the girl’s mom came running up to give her daughter a hug. She was so proud of her for doing the consultation all by herself. That was how young, innocent, and naive this girl was.
Jasmine talked to two of the girls at the front desk and one of the medical professionals about the situation. She wanted to tell the girl’s mom everything, but she was told that would be considered a HIPAA violation and a fireable offense.
She still thinks about that girl at least once a week and hopes that everything turns out okay.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
