Adolescent medicine is a medical subspecialty that focuses on care of patients who are in the adolescent period of development, generally ranging from the last years of elementary school until graduation from high school (some doctors in this subspecialty treat young adults attending college at area clinics, in the subfield of college health). Patients have generally entered puberty, which typically begins between the ages of 9 to 11 for girls, and 11 to 14 for boys. A primary care subspecialty, adolescent medicine incorporates aspects of gynecology, endocrinology, sports medicine, nutrition, dermatology and psychology. Adolescent medicine is an important specialty of Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Youth Health.

Issues with a high prevalence during adolescence are frequently addressed by providers. These include:

• Sexually transmitted disease (working with specialists in pediatric endocrinology, adolescent obstetrics and gynecology, immunology infectious diseases, and urology and reproductive medicine)
• Unintended pregnancy (working with specialists in adolescent obstetrics and gynecology, especially in neonatology and maternal-fetal medicine; many- though not all- are medically risky or high-risk cases and/or to those with psychosocial, environmental, and socioeconomic challenges)
• Birth control (there is currently a drive in the United States federal government's health care policymaking to ensure access to any and all prescription or non-prescription contraceptive methods to adolescent minors who request them, especially if they are over a certain age)
• Substance abuse
• Menstrual disorders (such as amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea and dysfunctional uterine bleeding)
• Acne (working with specialists in dermatology who treat adolescents)
• Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (working with nutritionists and dieticians, and also specialists in pediatric mental health counseling, clinical psychology, and pediatric psychiatry, who work with adolescents)
• Certain mental illnesses (especially personality disorders, anxiety disorders, major depression and suicide, bipolar disorder, and certain types of schizophrenia; in concert with mental health counselors, clinical psychologists, and pediatric psychiatrists specializing in adolescent health care)
• Delayed or precocious puberty (often working with specialists in adolescent pediatric endocrinology, urology, and andrology)

Scope of care [edit]

Providers of care for adolescents generally take a holistic approach to the patient, and attempt to obtain information pertinent to the patient's well-being in a variety of different domains. This approach, similar to the biopsychosocial model, is encapsulated in the HEADSS assessment,^[1][2] which is a screening acronym for adolescent patients. This has been expanded to HEEADSSS to include additional question sets (indicated with a *). It includes:

• Home -- how is the adolescent's home life? How are his/her relationships with family members? Where and with whom does the patient live? Is his/her living situation stable?
• Education (or Employment) -- how is the adolescent's school performance? Is he/she well-behaved, or are there discipline problems at school? If he/she is working, is he/she making a living wage? Are they financially secure?
• Eating* (incorporates body image) -- does the patient have a balanced diet? Is there adequate calcium intake? Is the adolescent trying to lose weight, and (if so), is it in a healthy manner? How does he/she feel about his/her body? Has there been significant weight gain/loss recently?
• Activities -- how does the patient spend his/her time? Are they engaging in dangerous or risky behavior? Are they supervised during their free time? With whom do they spend most of their time? Do they have a supportive peer group?
• Drugs (including alcohol and tobacco) -- does the patient drink caffeinated beverages (including energy drinks)? Does the patient smoke? Does the patient drink alcohol? Has the patient used illegal drugs? If there is any substance use, to what degree, and for how long?
• Sex -- is the patient sexually active? If so, what form of contraception (if any) is used? How many partners has the patient had? Has the patient ever been pregnant/fathered a child? Do the patient and their partners get routine reproductive health and STD checks and physical examinations? Are there any symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection? Does the patient identify as heterosexual, homosexual, or unsure? Does the patient feel safe discussing sexuality issues with parents or other caregivers?
• Suicidality (including general mood assessment) -- what is the patient's mood from day to day? Has he/she thought about/attempted suicide? In broader terms, is their mental and emotional state so dysfunctional that the activities of daily living are largely impaired or they present a risk to themselves or others?
• Safety* -- does the patient regularly wear a bicycle helmet? seatbelt? Does the patient drive while intoxicated or with a driver who is intoxicated? Does the patient wear safety equipment while participating in sports?
• Some providers favor the addition of Strengths to the list, in an effort to avoid focusing on issues of risk or concern, and reframe the patient interaction in a manner that highlights resilience.

In addition to a detailed history, adolescents should have a comprehensive physical exam (including a developmental and neurological assessment, STI testing, and a reproductive system exam) and mental health status exam on at least a yearly basis, in addition to yearly dental and ocular exams. Developmental progression, including an assessment of Tanner stage, should be noted at every yearly visit, and appropriate endocrinological work-ups undertaken for patients that fail to develop in an anticipated manner. Young women and young men should be taught how to examine their breast tissue for signs of breast cancer, and young men should be taught how to examine their testicles and penis for cancer and STDs. Screening lab tests, including a complete blood count to screen for anemia, and either a spot cholesterol check or (ideally) a fasting lipid profile to screen for hyperlipidemia, should be obtained at least once during adolescence. For patients who are sexually active, particularly in areas of high prevalence or with patients participating in higher-risk behaviors, screening tests for sexually transmitted diseases should be performed, including an RPR or VDRL for syphilis, screening for gonorrhea and chlamydia, and HIV. Sexually active females should have a pelvic examination and a physical examination if indicated by the presence of symptoms concerning for an STI; males should have a urological examination and a physical examination. Needed immunizations include: a tetanus vaccination or booster shot, a meningitis vaccination, the Gardasil vaccine against HPV (Human Papillomavirus, a leading cause of cervical cancer and genital warts) and a yearly influenza vaccination.

Young peoples' access to health care [edit]

In addition, issues of medical ethics, particularly related to confidentiality and the right to consent for medical care, are pertinent to the practice of adolescent medicine.^[3]

Training [edit]

Adolescent medicine providers are generally drawn from the specialties of pediatrics, internal medicine, med/peds or family medicine. The certifying boards for these different specialties have varying requirements for certification, though all require successful completion of a fellowship (a comprehensive list of which is available through the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine) and a passing score on a certifying exam. The American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Internal Medicine require evidence of scholarly achievement by candidates for subspecialty certification, usually in the form of an original research study.

In the United States, subspecialty medical board certification in adolescent medicine is available through the specialty boards of American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry, the American Board of Family Medicine, the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians, the American Board of Pediatrics, and the American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics.^[4]

Adolescent Health centers in the United States [edit]

Many subspecialists practice as part of general specialty clinics or practices, or in high school or college clinics. In addition, many major metropolitan areas have clinics that offer adolescent-specific care. A partial list includes:
Dallas

• Adolescent and Young Adult Clinic at Children's Medical Center (Dallas)
• Windhaven Adolescent Medicine Clinic at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital (Plano)

New York City

• The Adolescent Health Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center (Manhattan)
• Adolescent clinic at Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center (the Bronx)
• The Door

Rochester, NY

• The Adolescent Health Clinic at University of Rochester

Los Angeles

• Teenage and Young Adult Health Center at Children's Hospital Los Angeles

San Francisco area

• Adolescent Medicine Clinic at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford
• Adolescent Medicine Clinic at UCSF

Boston

• Division of Adolescent Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston

Philadelphia

• Adolescent Medicine Clinic at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• Adolescent Medicine at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
• Teen Health Center at Temple University Children's Medical Center
• Teen Health Center at Albert Einstein Medical Center

Columbus

• Adolescent Health at Nationwide Children's Hospital

Seattle

• Department of Adolescent Medicine at Seattle Children's Hospital

Cincinnati, OH

• Division of Adolescent Medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Adolescent Medicine in Australia [edit]

These hospitals offer adolescent-specific care:
Sydney

• The Department of Adolescent Medicine at The Children's Hospital at Westmead
• The Department of Adolescent Medicine at Westmead Hospital
• Youth Consultatncy & the Chill, at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

Melbourne

• The Centre For Adolescent Health Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne

Professional Organizations [edit]

In addition to membership in the organizations for their various specialties, adolescent medicine providers often belong to The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine and/or The North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology.

Founded in 1987, the International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH) is a multidisciplinary, non-government organization with a broad focus on youth health.

Publications [edit]

• The Journal of Adolescent Health published by the Society for Adolescent Medicine
• Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology published by the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
• Adolescent Medicine: State of the Art Reviews published by the American Academy of Pediatrics publishes

See also [edit]

• Adolescent sexuality
• Teen pregnancy

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Office of Adolescent, U.S. Department of Health, Health and Human Services
• Adolescent Medicine: State of the Art Reviews
• The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine
• International Association for Adolescent Health
• The North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
• The American Board of Pediatrics
• The American Board of Internal Medicine
• The American Board of Family Medicine
• The American College Health Association
• NSW Centre for the Advancement of Adolescent Health
• Teens Homepage, Nemours Foundation