Perspectives on pediatric and adolescent gynecology from the allied health care professional. The teen-parent patient.

Jennifer is a 17-year-old high school senior. She has a son Jason who is 6 months old. Jennifer and her son live with Jennifers parents. They are a middle class family and Jennifer has an after-school job to help pay for her sons child care. Jasons father has drifted out of their lives. Many young fathers find parental responsibilities more than they are able and/or willing to undertake. Jennifer is well groomed and articulate. Her stated reason for this office visit is for a refill of her birth control pills. A few more questions however reveal she did not return to her prenatal provider for her postpartum examination. Like many teens Jennifer wanted to put the pregnancy behind her. She didnt believe she needed a postpartum examination anyway since she wasnt sexually active. Her parents did not insist that she be examined because they want to believe she has "learned her lesson" and will remain abstinent. Jennifer represents many teen gynecological patients. Her appearance and demeanor can be deceptive. One may reasonably assume that she is behaving responsibly and is all the wiser for her experience. However this is not a safe assumption considering the stages involved in adolescent development. (excerpt)