Health Professionals
Did you know...
Health care professionals have unique and plentiful opportunities to curb the trends of sexually
transmitted disease and teen pregnancy. Studies show that people tend to heed the advice of a medical provider. In fact, brief verbal advice by a clinician, for as short a time as one to three minutes, has been shown to impact positively on such patient health behaviors as the duration of patient's exercise, amount of alcohol a patient consumes, or whether or not a patient continues to smoke.
Though most physicians recognize the twin epidemics of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy as major health concerns, many do not acknowledge the magnitude of these problems in clinical practice. Providers often do not inquire about the sexual practices of their adolescent patients. In addition, providers are in need of effective interventions that help halt risky sexual behavior and promote sexual health.
You play a critical role in helping youth achieve optimal health. By promoting abstinence, you are promoting primary prevention. Every health care professional should be screening for risky behavior and following up with clinical advice and assistance. This is a powerful technique that often leads to decisions to change risky lifestyles and behaviors.
We recommend a five-step approach for promoting abstinence:
- ASK each adolescent about sexual activity at every visit. Questions about sexual activity should be part of a complete medical history. The information is important for the health care professional to know in order to provide the best health care possible. Reassure the patient that all answers are kept confidential.
- ASSESS patient's risk for adverse sexual health outcomes based on his or her responses to the sexual behavior inventory. Communicate any of those risks to the patient in a brief summary and express any concern you have about the patient's sexual health.
- ADVISE all sexually active adolescents to seriously consider the risk involved with early sexual activity. When counseling an adolescent, you should be straightforward and nonjudgmental.
- ASSIST clients with supportive materials. Be encouraging and offer support with brochures and resources. Uphold optimum sexual health and always encourage an adolescent toward it.
- ARRANGE follow up through a phone call, letter, or office visit.
By using these five steps, you are promoting sexual health.
Preventing the spread of STDs requires that persons at risk for transmitting or acquiring infections change their behaviors. The essential first step is for the health care provider to proactively include questions regarding the patient's sexual history as part of the clinical interview. When risk factors have been identified, the provider has an opportunity to deliver prevention messages.
Counseling skills (i.e. respect, compassion, and a non-judgmental attitude) are essential to the effective delivery of prevention messages. Techniques that can be effective in facilitating a rapport with the patient include using open-ended questions, using understandable language, and reassuring the patient that treatment will be provided regardless of considerations such as ability to pay, citizenship or immigration status, language spoken, or lifestyle.
Prevention messages should be tailored to the patient, with consideration to the patient's specific risk factors for STDs. Messages should include a description of specific actions that the patient can take to avoid acquiring or transmitting STDs.
For more information about anticipatory guidance and adolescent health:
Other information:
Email Us
Adolescent Sexual Health Programs
109 Governor Street 8th FL-East
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 864-7700
Fax: (804) 864-7722
1-877-CANWAIT
or 1-877-226-9248
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