Treating the Awkward Years

Jan Hoffman
The New York Times
Tuesday, April 24th, 2007
The Story
The Summary: Doctors specializing in adolescent care can make the most awkward doctor's visit comfortable and helpful.

This is such a good idea. Being a teenager has become so hard. There are so many mixed messages, be honest, but don't do this this or this. You'll get in trouble, we'll yell and scream and make you feel like shit.

The idea of having a doctor that you can speak freely to, and who WON'T tell you parents. Especially when it comes to sex and sexual health. Sex is one of those things that the more you know, the better choices you make. Yet, because of our puritanical heritage, sex is one of the last things parents want to talk about with their kids. Doctors who are comfortable helping teens make good choices about sex and birth control and the benefits of waiting (or not waiting, as the case may be) are a great asset to parents and educators alike.

Even simple things like stretch marks or a period or strange pains can be embarrassing to talk to parents and other adults to, but medical professionals that are comfortable talking to teens, and have the knowledge can be a comfort for a teen, not an embaressment.

The article really focused on how teens often get lost in the shuffle between pediatritions and adult doctors.

That job has become more time-consuming and complex. “Adolescents are not big children and they’re also not little adults,” said Dr. Walter D. Rosenfeld, an adolescent medicine specialist and chairman of pediatrics at the Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, N.J.

Talking to parents about anything "down there" is hard. Especially if they're really strict about sex and virginity. If you are a virgin, you'll worry that they'll get suspicious and falsely accuse, and if you're not, you'll worry they'll get mad and never talk to you again, saying your bladder infection is because you're a giant dirty whore.

Being a teen is hard. Going to the doctor is hard. Having doctors especially for teens makes things easier.