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Adolescent Medicine

Building Hope, Recovery, and Life Beyond Substance Use Disorder
 Building Hope, Recovery, and Life Beyond Substance Use Disorder 1024 702 Abbie Miller
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Five years ago, Pediatrics Nationwide dedicated its fall issue to a comprehensive look at the effects of the opioid crisis on children and families. At that time, Sarah Parker was working hard to stay sober, recovering from the very crisis holding the nation’s attention. Parker grew up in Chillicothe, Ohio, halfway between Portsmouth, Ohio, the…

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Should You Offer Fentanyl Test Strips in Your Office?
 Should You Offer Fentanyl Test Strips in Your Office? 150 150 Abbie Miller
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Harm reduction approaches support the use of fentanyl test strips for individuals who are taking illicit substances but want to avoid fentanyl. Nichole Michaels, PhD, a principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s, is conducting two studies about the efficacy of offering and educating about fentanyl testing among adults.…

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User Experiences With Subcutaneous Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate
 User Experiences With Subcutaneous Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
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Girl sitting on a bench with her phone smiling.

Survey reveals high satisfaction among adolescents and young adults using subcutaneous DMPA Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is a progestin-only injectable contraceptive that is used as birth control method and in the treatment of heavy or painful menstrual periods, endometriosis, and for menstrual suppression. DMPA can be injected intramuscularly or subcutaneously, with no difference in effectiveness…

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Ask A Specialist: What Are the Recommendations for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Screening in Primary Care?
 Ask A Specialist: What Are the Recommendations for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Screening in Primary Care? 1024 575 Cynthia Holland-Hall, MD
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Teen girl with backpack

STI screening is recommended for all sexually active adolescents. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, nearly 1 in 4 teens have an STI. Safe sexual practices and routine screening can prevent these infections – that’s where health care providers come in. By offering routine testing for all sexually active teens in addition to safe…

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Implementation Science to Expand Contraception Access for Adolescents Hospitalized with Mental Health Issues
 Implementation Science to Expand Contraception Access for Adolescents Hospitalized with Mental Health Issues 1024 575 Pam Georgiana
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Black and white image of teen girl posing outside

Research has documented that adolescents with mental health concerns have a higher need for contraceptive counseling and care because they are at a higher risk for unintended pregnancy.[i] [ii] Unintended pregnancies can make mental health symptoms worse, especially depressive symptoms. [iii] Counseling and use of contraceptives are simple evidence-based strategies to reduce unplanned pregnancies. However,…

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Exploring Disordered Eating Beyond Binge Eating in Youth with Obesity
 Exploring Disordered Eating Beyond Binge Eating in Youth with Obesity 150 150 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
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Youth with obesity can suffer from various disordered eating behaviors beyond binge eating. A holistic approach to caring for these youth can help improve their long-term physical and psychological health outcomes. A literature review recently published in Nutrients shed light on eating disorders beyond binge eating in youth with obesity. In this review, Eileen Chaves,…

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Breast Surgery in Adolescents: When Should You Consider It?
 Breast Surgery in Adolescents: When Should You Consider It? 150 150 Ibrahim Khansa, MD
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Research shows that addressing macromastia, breast asymmetry and gynecomastia in adolescence can improve physical symptoms as well as quality of life and mental wellbeing. Breast disorders such as macromastia, breast asymmetry and gynecomastia are in adolescents.2 Those conditions can negatively impair quality-of-life, and their surgical treatment has been shown to improve self-esteem, as well as…

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Can Smartphone Apps Keep AYA Oncology Patients Plugged in to Their Medication Routines?
 Can Smartphone Apps Keep AYA Oncology Patients Plugged in to Their Medication Routines? 1024 684 Natalie Wilson
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teen girl using cell phone

Studies show that suboptimal medication adherence may be a barrier to increased survival rates among adolescents and young adults with cancer. Anthony Audino, MD, explores the utility of medication adherence apps to meet the unique needs of these patients. The incidence of cancer among adolescents and young adults (AYA), or those 15-39 years old, has…

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Diagnosing Adolescent Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
 Diagnosing Adolescent Polycystic Ovary Syndrome 1024 673 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
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New adolescent-specific guidelines provide more precise guidance on diagnosing polycystic ovary syndrome in adolescent females. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common female reproductive endocrine disorder, presents diagnostic challenges in adolescents, highlighting the need for adolescent-specific diagnostic guidelines for PCOS. “We can’t use the adult criteria for diagnosing adolescent PCOS,” says Andrea Bonny, MD, section chief…

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Best Practices for Patient-Centered Contraception Counseling About the Etonogestrel Implant
 Best Practices for Patient-Centered Contraception Counseling About the Etonogestrel Implant 1024 683 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
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Patient-centered, age-appropriate contraception counseling helps health care providers educate adolescents about the etonogestrel implant and other contraceptive methods. Preventing unplanned pregnancies in adolescents with effective and easy-to-use contraception is key to ensuring that adolescents do not become parents before they are ready. Nexplanon, the newest version of the etonogestrel (ENG) implant, is an increasingly popular…

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Privacy for the Vulnerable: Confidentiality in Adolescent Care
 Privacy for the Vulnerable: Confidentiality in Adolescent Care 1024 683 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
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Confidentiality plays a critical role in adolescent care, yet can be difficult for providers to implement because of legal complexities and other challenges. Confidentiality is a critical component of adolescent medical care. As adolescents transition into adulthood, the opportunity to spend time alone with a health care provider fosters independence in discussing health issues, making…

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Reproductive Health Attitudes and Behaviors in Transgender/Nonbinary Adolescents
 Reproductive Health Attitudes and Behaviors in Transgender/Nonbinary Adolescents 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
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A survey suggests providers may need unique strategies for counseling sometimes disinterested youth on important reproductive health issues. Transgender and nonbinary adolescents have unique issues when it comes to reproductive health. They are at high risk for contracting sexually transmitted infections. Additionally, hormonal or surgical interventions begun in adolescence can risk impairing future fertility. Researchers…

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Health Care and Medication Use Among Adolescents with Opioid Use Disorder in Ohio
 Health Care and Medication Use Among Adolescents with Opioid Use Disorder in Ohio 1024 575 Abbie Miller
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From Ohio – a state in the heart of the opioid crisis – a new study on the medications prescribed to teens with opioid use disorder. A new study from researchers in the Center for Innovation in Pediatric Practice at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, recently published in Journal of Adolescent Health,…

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Let’s Talk About Having “The Talk”
 Let’s Talk About Having “The Talk” 1024 575 Sarah Saxbe, MS, MSW, LISW-S
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Known famously as “the talk” due to its taboo nature, the conversation with children about healthy sexual practices is often considered daunting for many parents, but this conversation doesn’t have to be difficult. Practicing open communication and being honest with children can lead to positive conversations about reproductive health that educates kids so they make…

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Child Sex Trafficking in the U.S. is Real — and a New Tool can Help Doctors Identify Victims
 Child Sex Trafficking in the U.S. is Real — and a New Tool can Help Doctors Identify Victims 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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Researchers exploring the alarmingly high prevalence of child sex trafficking in the United States have validated a practical tool for identifying victims in multiple health care settings. At least one in every 10 minors visiting emergency departments, child advocacy centers and teen clinics for sexual trauma or assault are victims of child sex trafficking, according…

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Breaking the Cycle: Preventing and Treating Addiction in Youth
 Breaking the Cycle: Preventing and Treating Addiction in Youth 1024 575 Abbie Miller
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Virtually all addictions begin during adolescence. And nearly 4 million 12-25 year olds in the United States have a substance abuse problem, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Substance abuse in adolescents is not restricted to opioids, but in the midst of this national crisis, too many young people are finding…

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More Screening Needed for Young Females at Risk for von Willebrand Disease
 More Screening Needed for Young Females at Risk for von Willebrand Disease 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
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Black and white image of teen girl posing outside

A new study finds most girls with heavy menstrual bleeding are not screened for the bleeding disorder. Despite recommendations by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, approximately 90 percent of girls with heavy menstrual bleeding are not being screened for von Willebrand disease, according to a new study from Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Von Willebrand disease is…

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When Talking About Birth Control, Don’t Leave Boys Out of the Conversation
 When Talking About Birth Control, Don’t Leave Boys Out of the Conversation 150 150 Sarah Saxbe, MS, MSW, LISW-S
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Sex education for boys should include information about all forms of birth control, even those for females. When a child arrives in his or her pediatrician’s office each year for their well visit, the nurse and provider often go over a long list of questions for the parents and child. Many are related to daily…

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Personal, Familial and Social Factors Surrounding Child Suicide
 Personal, Familial and Social Factors Surrounding Child Suicide 150 150 Brianne Moore
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As suicide rates among children climb, researchers publish the first study exclusively focused on the precipitating circumstances of children and young adolescents who die by suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide was the 10th leading cause of death for children ages 5 to 11 in 2014. This was the first…

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Challenges of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer
 Challenges of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer 150 150 Anthony Audino, MD
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Among the unique challenges of AYA cancer, anxiety often increases after treatments are completed as the patient reintegrates back into “normal life.” The definition of the adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patient has evolved over time, but it is now formally defined as those diagnosed with cancer at ages 15 through 39. AYA patients are a…

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Adolescents, Young Adults and Cancer: What Are the Issues?
 Adolescents, Young Adults and Cancer: What Are the Issues? 150 150 Abbie Miller
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Adolescents and young adults with cancer have unique needs that may explain their plateau in survival rates, despite improved survival rates in other age groups. At an age when achieving independence and experiencing life milestones are most important, adolescents and young adults facing a cancer diagnosis must meet unique challenges. These challenges may contribute to…

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Diagnosis Focus
 Diagnosis Focus 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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Up to one in 10 blood clots in women occur in teen contraceptive users. When a teenage girl presents with chest pain, most doctors likely think first of anxiety, muscle injury or heartburn. In most cases, this is entirely appropriate. But if the girl is taking birth control pills, the problem could be a pulmonary…

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