Adolescent Health

Question 1

WHAT IS ADOLESCENCE?

Answer 1

• Adolescence: 10-19 years
• Youth: 15-24 years
• Young people: 10-24 years

Question 2

ASSESSMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE?

Answer 2

• S - Sexual Maturation and Growth
• T - Thinking
• E - Education/Employment
• P - Peers/Parents

Question 3

In scotland, a person under the age of —— years shall have legal capacity to, COMPETENCE, CONSENT AND CAPACITY on their own behalf to any surgical, medical or dental procedure or treatment where, in the opinion of a qualified medical practitioner attending him, (s)he is capable of understanding the nature and possible consequences of the procedure or treatment

Answer 3

16

Question 4

HEEADSSS?

Answer 4

Framework of things to remind us of topics we might wish to discuss with young people:

• Home (home life/relationships)
• Education/Employment – progress at school, financial concerns
• Eating - weight, body image
• Activities - peers, physical activity
• Drugs
• Sex - Sexual activity, orientation, STIs
• Suicidality
• Safety - risk taking behaviour/criminality

Question 5

Taking a sexual history?

Answer 5

• If we expect patient to be honest we need to see them on their own and in a private environment
• ASK
• Avoid making any assumptions particularly about sexual identity

Question 6

In Scotland parents —– authorise treatment a competent young person has refused

Answer 6

Cannot

Question 7

Child protection and underage sex?

Answer 7

• It is an offence for anyone to have any sexual activity with a person under the age of 16
• However, legal guidance is clear that there is no intention to prosecute teenagers under the age of 16 where both mutually agree and where they are of a similar age
• Children/young people under the age of 13 years are not legally capable of giving their consent to any sexual activity - child protection concern even if the children are the same age
• It is an offence for a person aged 18 or over to have any sexual activity with a person under the age of 18 if the older person holds a position of trust e.g. teacher

Question 8

SPECIFIC HEALTH-RELATED ISSUES?

Answer 8

• Many disease states develop in adolescent years e.g. mental health, obesity
• Poorly managed morbidity in adolescence almost universally carries over into adulthood

Mental health and wellbeing

• Eating disorders
• Mental Illness - depression, anxiety, psychosis
• Pre-existing conditions
• Chronic fatigue
• Functional disorders

Physical health

• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Asthma
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Social health

• Drugs and alcohol
• Sexual relationships