Adolescent preventive counseling

This topic presents a list of preventive service recommendations for the practitioner to consider when evaluating the individual adolescent. Adolescence (ages 11 to 21 years) is a time of relative health, with a low incidence of serious medical problems. Medical issues that arise during adolescence are more likely to be related to behavior and environmental factors than to organic disease. Many individuals establish lifelong habits during adolescence so it is a critical time for health providers to invest in preventive services and screening in order to promote health. Preventive services are a mainstay of primary care for infants and children but are provided sporadically for adolescents, with physicians often avoiding sensitive issues.[1]Adelman W, Ellen J. Adolescence. In: Rudolph's fundamentals of pediatrics. 3rd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies; 2002.

Recommendations on adolescent preventive care are available from several organizations, including the US Preventive Services Task Force. US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Guide to clinical preventive services Opens in new window

Advice regarding appropriate immunizations for adolescents is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC: Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule Opens in new window