Adolescent Medicine

Could encouraging parents and teenagers to discuss sex lead to the teenager practicing safe sex in the future? A recent meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of “the talk” on delaying sexual initiation and future safe sexual practices

Parents not be doing enough when it comes to supporting adolescents’ grasp of personal healthcare and well-being.

It may seem like something that only adult women will experience, but reproductive coercion can be a problem for older teenaged girls as well, according to a new study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Intimate partner violence isn’t just an adult problem. A new study reveals that teenagers also face violence from partners, and the results can be deadly.

This month’s Riddle Me This! online quiz explores the study evidence to reveal some unexpected traits, risk factors, and trajectories for these children. Are there common functional skills traits in younger bullies? What does the literature say about the familial linkage of bullying-is it learned at home?

Bullying is a preventable health problem that has lasting impacts. Pediatricians need to screen patients for risk factors, empower families with coping skills, and advocate for antibullying resources in their communities.

Adolescents who initially screened as being at highest risk for alcohol problems on a 2-question screen were more likely than their peers to have more drinking days and be at higher risk for alcohol use disorders at 1, 2, and 3 years after the screen, a large study showed. Participants were 12- to 17-year-olds treated for a non–life-threatening injury, illness, or mental health condition in 1 of 16 pediatric emergency departments.

The dilemmas and barriers that providers encounter daily in clinical practice in attempting to maintain confidentiality for their adolescent patient while simultaneously protecting the adolescent from potential harm are daunting for providers as there are no nationally recognized, evidence-based standards addressing adolescent confidentiality and privacy issues in the delivery of quality healthcare to adolescents.

A third of young adults have never had a private discussion with a clinician, according to a recent report that reveals a concerning lack of confidential communication between doctors and their young patients.

The teenaged years are difficult across the board, but a report highlights the additional challenges for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) adolescents and calls to attention their increased risk for suicide attempts.

Pediatricians should intensify screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among all adolescent patients, whether or not they self-report being sexually active.

It’s not just alcohol and seatbelts that factor into teen driving safety. A recent report reveals additional guidance pediatricians should offer to teenaged drivers and their parents.

The menstrual cycle can be an important vital sign providing pediatricians with valuable information about health and disease among girls and young women.

Although digital media isn’t proven to cause attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), researchers are now linking self-reported ADHD symptoms in some teenagers to heavy social media and other digital media use.

For teenagers’ developing minds and bodies, good food and activity choices are key to appropriate development. A new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals trends that check how US teenagers are doing.

When teenaged athletes complain of lumbar back pain that worsens with activity, there should be a high index of suspicion for a spondylolysis.

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that 1 in 7 teenagers is abusing opioids, and sexual minorities face growing health disparities and health risks.

The startling increase in the number of adolescents thinking about and attempting suicide is a wake-up call for pediatric healthcare providers to take action and help these children at risk.

Clinicians and parents aren’t having the sex talk with teenagers as often as they should, according to a new study, and parents aren’t sure whether it’s a doctor’s place to get involved.

Two new studies quantify the negative effects of adverse events in childhood on physical and mental health issues in LGBTQ individuals.

E-cigarette marketing targeted at adolescents plays a significant role in the uptake of e-cigarette use, as well as the use of traditional cigarettes.

Homeless children face a multitude of problems, and clinicians have little guidance on the best ways to help them.

Too many children with depression go undiagnosed and untreated, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Updated guidelines should address this standard of care.

Pediatricians need a better understanding of the effects of early puberty for girls beyond adolescence into adulthood.

Compared with adolescents who use e-cigarettes with relatively low or no nicotine concentrations, those who use e-cigarettes with higher nicotine concentrations are more likely to progress to more frequent and intense combustible cigarette smoking and vaping.

Adults who have survived childhood cancer are about 10 years ahead of their peers in terms of developing hypertension, according to a new report.

Pediatricians are falling short when it comes to adequately addressing sexual and reproductive healthcare for teenagers, but new guidance aims to offer strategies for improvement.

For Contemporary Pediatrics, Dr Bobby Lazzara discusses a population-based sample published in the American Journal of Psychiatry that followed 7th graders for 4 years and examined the effects of cannabis and alcohol on cognition.

Health illiteracy is widespread across all populations, but it has the extra burden of language and cultural barriers in diverse and underserved populations. Here’s how pediatricians can help.