For Teens
All of our primary care practices provide comprehensive care for teens. In addition to the great adolescent care you can receive at your teen’s pediatrician’s office, we also have a dedicated Adolescent Medicine Program at Children's National Shaw Metro.
As your child continues to grow, their medical needs will continue to change. Just because your child has become a teenager does not mean he or she needs medical care any less frequently than when he or she was younger. The doctors and nurse practitioners within Adolescent Medicine specialize in adolescent health and the focus is on the total health of our adolescent and young adult patients.
We have several services available to teens, including:
- Annual physical exams (including for school and college)
- Management of chronic illness
- Monitoring of growth and pubertal development
- Mental and emotional health services
- Reproductive healthcare
- Sick visits
- Pre-participation sports physical exams
In addition to helping your teen with medical concerns, our providers will spend part of each visit discussing social and emotional issues that may affect your child’s well-being. Social workers and mental health professionals are on-site to assist with any mental healthcare referrals or urgent needs that your teen may have.
Topics often discussed at adolescent health visits are:
- Building healthy relationships
- Building independence
- Coping with stress
- School and job preparation and achievement
- Screening and treatment for mental health disorders
- Sexuality and sexual health
- Substance use and abuse
- Successful transition to adulthood
- Supporting strength and resilience
Confidential family planning services are available, with services including:
- Adolescent gynecology
- Contraception, including emergency contraception
- Pregnancy testing and options counseling
- Screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections
- Sexual health education