What Do They Want		What do adolescents want in a health care provider? Friendly, caring Not rushed Trustworthy, honest and open Non-judgmental Knowledgeable, experienced in the issues they're seeking them out for Careful, respectful Willing to assure confidentiality and to explain what it means so it is not a surprise to anybody The following data is from the Journal of Family Practice in 1987. It shows the shocking disparity between what adolescents want to talk about and how often it is actually talked about - in some cases, it's a fraction. It is this disparity that prevents a lot of kids from seeking out health care. Overall, adolescents are not going to seek out care as much as a younger child or an older adult - because they are generally healthy! However, national data consistently show that 68-85% of adolescents have received a "check-up" in the past year. Of course, the definition of a check-up varies from an abbreviated sports physical to a comprehensive history and a head-to-toe exam. Older adolescents are more likely to miss appointments than younger ones, mostly because they may have an option to do it independently of their parents. Adolescent females are more likely to seek medical care than their male peers, primarily because they will be coming in for Pap smears and pelvic exams, whereas a male may choose to seek out a different arena for his health care, most likely, depending on his insurance, a public health clinic or a well-known STD clinic. Return to top of page