The challenge of providing health care to adolescents.
This article discusses the common health problems of adolescents with an emphasis on the differences between those affecting girls and boys. Statistics are given for mortality, hospitalization, and out-patient health visits from several different sources. Accidents and violence are the leading causes of death in adolescents but they affect boys much more often than girls. Teenaged girls are frequently hospitalized for health problems related to sexual behavior, mainly pregnancy and delivery related care and sexually transmitted diseases. Emotional and psychosomatic disorders are very common among adolescents of both sexes. Three general considerations important for the provision of health care to adolescents are discussed in detail. These include privacy and confidentiality, prevention of adverse health consequences of risk-taking behaviors, and the utilization of professionals from several different health care disciplines.
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000295:Adolescent Medicine; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003219:Confidentiality; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D009017:Morbidity; D011322:Primary Prevention