Teen Health Concerns
At one time, we had five (yes, five) teenagers in our household. Hormones were so thick, that you could cut them with a lawn mower (which, incidentally, they rarely used). Now, they are all successful and healthy adults. They made it. And, we also made it... sort of. This weekend, our eldest granddaughter turns 13. Here we go again.
Because of our own experiences with five teenagers, I cannot help but transfer my fatherly concerns to the adolescent patients that I see everyday. The adolescent population is probably the most underserved age group in any medical practice. Teens only show up when they are ill, injured, or need a sports physical. They are usually dragged in by their Moms, and absolutely hate being in the pediatric waiting room with toddlers and crying babies.
Any medical visit by a teenager is a teachable opportunity. Unless the medical provider takes an active role in asking the right questions and establishing a trusting relationship during a routine physical examination, some teens will continue to stealthily practice very risky behaviors - behaviors that may kill them.
Was there sexual experimentation? Probably, but adolescents having sex are difficult to discover unless they decide to tell you. Teen pregnancies are still epidemic, but fortunately, our only daughter did not get pregnant. Whether she was sexually involved or not in her teen years, she still has not disclosed. She turns 30 this year, so maybe she will tell me. The four boys were probably not sexually active, but I bet they wanted to be.
Was there teen alcohol use? Unfortunately, yes. Although I do not personally drink alcohol (don't like it), we did have beer and wine around for guests. No hard stuff. They did not get the beer from us, however. Beer was purchased with a fake ID at the local convenience store. To this day, no one will tell me which store sold them the booze, but we did visit ALL of the stores around the high school, informing the owners that we were watching them.
In his senior year, one of our teens had a bit too much to drink at a party and decided to drive the two miles home via back streets. Traveling at the OJ chase speed of 4 miles per hour, he quickly caught the attention of a cruising policeman. Our son was arrested and taken to jail. He lost his license for a year, paid a $1500 fine, had to pay for driver's school, and had to pay double or triple insurance rates for the next five years. That little stunt and lack of judgment probably cost him about ten thousand dollars. Since he couldn't drive for a year, he decided to join the Navy. The discipline of the military saved his life and gave him some wonderful training. He is a very successful technician now with three lovely children.
Teens are at risk
In our practice, we have had teenagers commit suicide over the loss of a girlfriend, or because they were shunned by friends for being stuck-up. Teens in our practice have been killed in automobile accidents; one even tragically killed in front of our office while racing through the red light. Teen patients are getting pregnant, getting sexually-transmitted diseases, taking drugs, selling drugs, drinking alcohol, getting raped, suffering abuse, fighting depression, purging, binging, running away from home, getting injured in fights, and even incarcerated. Some are in foster care or group homes anxiously waiting for their 18th birthday.
I have to say that the vast majority of the adolescents in our practice are very good kids. They attend school, do their homework, play competitive sports, respect their supportive families, drive safe, and have hopes and dreams that go well beyond high school. Some day, many of these teens will become doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, scientists, mothers, and fathers. But sadly, some teens will not have an opportunity to experience life as an adult.
Teens need tailored medical care
Adolescents need their own medical practice - A Teen Clinic. They need a place that is not pediatrics and not an adult practice. They need dedicated and skilled clinicians that can spot adolescents at risk and who can tactfully intervene at those critical times. Teens need medical providers that are street-wise and comfortable talking about sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll in a confidential, non-judgmental, and non-parental way. They need a place where they can confide, cry, laugh, complain, and openly discuss their health needs in a safe, supportive environment, whether it be something as mundane as acne or man boobs, or an issue as serious as suicide or anorexia.
Adolescents often appear to be of a different species, but underneath that facade of blue, spiked hair, body-piercings, and butt-crack-showing clothing lies a very vulnerable, sensitive, thinking, surprisingly-normal, young person desperately seeking a safe journey to adulthood. We were teenagers, too, and we survived. As medical providers, it is our responsibility to be their travel agents.
Related Topics: New Healthcare for Teens, Herb Use Linked to Teen Drug Use
Technorati Tags: adolescent health, drug use, teen sexuality
Because of our own experiences with five teenagers, I cannot help but transfer my fatherly concerns to the adolescent patients that I see everyday. The adolescent population is probably the most underserved age group in any medical practice. Teens only show up when they are ill, injured, or need a sports physical. They are usually dragged in by their Moms, and absolutely hate being in the pediatric waiting room with toddlers and crying babies.
Any medical visit by a teenager is a teachable opportunity. Unless the medical provider takes an active role in asking the right questions and establishing a trusting relationship during a routine physical examination, some teens will continue to stealthily practice very risky behaviors - behaviors that may kill them.
Teenagers Experiment
Did our teenagers experiment with drugs? You bet. Actually, it was through our own teens that we discovered that LSD was back. Apparently, all of the LSD chemists from the 1970s were now out of prison and back in business. When we drug tested our two that tried it, the tests came back negative. Why? LSD was not on the usual list of abused drugs anymore. You had to order LSD testing separately. When we did that, LSD was a positive hit. They also dabbled a bit in marijuana and alcohol. We felt fortunate that our teens just tried it, didn't really like it, and quickly gave it up.Was there sexual experimentation? Probably, but adolescents having sex are difficult to discover unless they decide to tell you. Teen pregnancies are still epidemic, but fortunately, our only daughter did not get pregnant. Whether she was sexually involved or not in her teen years, she still has not disclosed. She turns 30 this year, so maybe she will tell me. The four boys were probably not sexually active, but I bet they wanted to be.
Was there teen alcohol use? Unfortunately, yes. Although I do not personally drink alcohol (don't like it), we did have beer and wine around for guests. No hard stuff. They did not get the beer from us, however. Beer was purchased with a fake ID at the local convenience store. To this day, no one will tell me which store sold them the booze, but we did visit ALL of the stores around the high school, informing the owners that we were watching them.
In his senior year, one of our teens had a bit too much to drink at a party and decided to drive the two miles home via back streets. Traveling at the OJ chase speed of 4 miles per hour, he quickly caught the attention of a cruising policeman. Our son was arrested and taken to jail. He lost his license for a year, paid a $1500 fine, had to pay for driver's school, and had to pay double or triple insurance rates for the next five years. That little stunt and lack of judgment probably cost him about ten thousand dollars. Since he couldn't drive for a year, he decided to join the Navy. The discipline of the military saved his life and gave him some wonderful training. He is a very successful technician now with three lovely children.
Teens are at risk
In our practice, we have had teenagers commit suicide over the loss of a girlfriend, or because they were shunned by friends for being stuck-up. Teens in our practice have been killed in automobile accidents; one even tragically killed in front of our office while racing through the red light. Teen patients are getting pregnant, getting sexually-transmitted diseases, taking drugs, selling drugs, drinking alcohol, getting raped, suffering abuse, fighting depression, purging, binging, running away from home, getting injured in fights, and even incarcerated. Some are in foster care or group homes anxiously waiting for their 18th birthday.I have to say that the vast majority of the adolescents in our practice are very good kids. They attend school, do their homework, play competitive sports, respect their supportive families, drive safe, and have hopes and dreams that go well beyond high school. Some day, many of these teens will become doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, scientists, mothers, and fathers. But sadly, some teens will not have an opportunity to experience life as an adult.
Teens need tailored medical care
Adolescents need their own medical practice - A Teen Clinic. They need a place that is not pediatrics and not an adult practice. They need dedicated and skilled clinicians that can spot adolescents at risk and who can tactfully intervene at those critical times. Teens need medical providers that are street-wise and comfortable talking about sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll in a confidential, non-judgmental, and non-parental way. They need a place where they can confide, cry, laugh, complain, and openly discuss their health needs in a safe, supportive environment, whether it be something as mundane as acne or man boobs, or an issue as serious as suicide or anorexia.Adolescents often appear to be of a different species, but underneath that facade of blue, spiked hair, body-piercings, and butt-crack-showing clothing lies a very vulnerable, sensitive, thinking, surprisingly-normal, young person desperately seeking a safe journey to adulthood. We were teenagers, too, and we survived. As medical providers, it is our responsibility to be their travel agents.
Related Topics: New Healthcare for Teens, Herb Use Linked to Teen Drug Use
Technorati Tags: adolescent health, drug use, teen sexuality
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