Health Topics & Information

Adolescent Health

11 - 21 years

Adolescent Well-Child Visit Screenings

SCREENINGTEST
Alcohol or Drug Use

 

Administer alcohol and drug screening tool

 

Anema

 

Hematocrit or hemoglobin

 

Cervical Dysplasia

 

Papanicolaou test, conventional slide or liquid-based

 

Dyslipidemia

 

Lipid screen

 

Hearing

 

Audiometry

 

Pregnancy (sexually active)

 

Urine hCG

 

STIs (sexually active)

 

Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV

 

Tuberculosis

 

Tuberculin skin test

 

Vision

 

Snellen Test

 

Source: Bright Futures

 

Adolescent Immunizations

11 – 12 years

  • Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccine
  • Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine (3 Doses)
  • Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine (MCV4) Dose 1

13-18 years

  • Tdap
  • HVP
  • MCV4 Dose 1 (Booster at age 16 years)

11-18 years

  • Influenza (yearly)
  • Pneumococcal Vaccine
  • Hep A Vaccine Series
  • Hep B Vaccine Series
  • Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) Series
  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Vaccine Series
  • Varicella Vaccine Series

These vaccines are recommended for all children/adolescents, unless doctor indicates otherwise. These vaccines should be given if a child/adolescent is catching-up on missing vaccines. These vaccines are recommended for children/adolescents with certain health conditions that put them at high risk for serious diseases. Note that healthy children/adolescents can get the Hep A series.

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics

 

Teen Pregnancy

Teen pregnancies can and do happen. 3 in 10 girls will become pregnant by age 20. Unplanned pregnancies can dramatically change the lives of the families involved, sometimes leading to poverty, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, and more unplanned pregnancies.

If you are a parent, you can help prevent a teen pregnancy in your family by starting with these steps:

  • Share your views with your children – About teens having sex, safe sex and preventing pregnancy.
  • Be real – Go beyond explaining basic facts and talk about the feelings and responsibilities sex involves. Discuss the difference between sex and love and how to say no under pressure.
  • Don’t worry about mixed messages – You can encourage virginity while still explaining what it takes to prevent pregnancy. More than half of teens surveyed want parents to discuss both abstinence and birth control, rather than one or the other.
  • Stay in charge – Establish rules and curfews and know who your children are hanging out with.
  • Show your love – Establish a close relationship with your children, so that your children will talk with you when they have questions and concerns.

Helpful Resources

Parent's Guide - Age 9 to Young Adults
last updated: June 23, 2022

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