Reproductive Health Care of Adolescent Women

Reproductive health care of adolescent women is focused on prevention of disease. Adolescents are at higher risk for pelvic inflammatory disease than adult women; therefore, screening regularly for sexually transmitted infections is important. Immunization for human papillomavirus is the primary means of cervical cancer prevention because new guidelines recommend not initiating Papanicolaou smears until the age of 21. Contraception for adolescents is a challenge, and clinicians should focus on long-acting, reversible contraception in this group. The treatment of pelvic pain and menstrual disorders in adolescent women is distinct from adult women and is related to differing prevalence of conditions. Lastly, this article discusses the importance of confidential care when treating adolescent women.