University of California, San Francisco/Journal of Adolescent Health
Approximately one-quarter of middle and high school students say they can’t remember having had a routine preventive doctor’s visit in the past two years, and studies show that between 19 percent and 27 percent of teens say they’ve forgone necessary medical care. One reason for the reluctance to see doctors, according to this study, is concern about confidentiality.
Boys with high depressive symptoms, suicidal ideas and histories of suicide attempts were more likely to report confidentiality concerns. So were girls who had a variety of experiences, including sexual intercourse, a sexually transmitted infection, alcohol use in the past year and unsatisfactory communication with their parents. Free. Nine pages. (415) 502-4086, http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/1054-139X/PIIS1054139X06003752.pdf.
