Teen Girls' Health

News and Features Related to Teen Girls

21. The Pill: Myths and Facts
    

      My patient Lori wasn’t having much luck with the prescription-strength NSAID drug or the complementary remedies she tried, so I suggested oral hormones. She hesitated. “This’ll sound dumb,” she told me, “but I really don’t want to gain weight.” “Don’t worry, that’s just a myth,” I told her. Lori’s

    Read Full Article
22. Prescription Drugs
    

      Over the past few years we’ve heard more and more about prescription drug use as a source of serious problems for teens. At one end of the spectrum is sneaking prescription medications from your parents’ medicine cabinet. At the other end there’s “pharming.” Possibly an urban legend, but one that

    Read Full Article
23. Ready-Made Responses
    

      Honesty is definitely the best policy when it comes to not having sex. If you don’t want to and you’re not ready, you shouldn’t have to explain yourself. Just tell your boyfriend clearly where you draw the line. He should respect that. If he doesn’t, you should dump him and find someone who listen

    Read Full Article
24. The New Basics of Birth Control
    

      If you remember nothing else, remember this: If you don’t use birth control, you are very likely to get pregnant. Every year 85 percent of women who have sex without using birth control get pregnant, according to Planned Parenthood. This is like playing Russian roulette. It’s not cool and it’s ver

    Read Full Article
25. Talking to Your Boyfriend: Practice Makes Perfect
    

    One of the best tips I give my patients who want to delay sexual activity— but aren’t sure how to resist temptation—is to be prepared. Anticipate the obstacles that may pop up in your path and make a firm plan to deal with them. Preparation is key. Your plan might be as simple as figuring out how to

    Read Full Article
26. Suffering is Out: What You Can Do
    

      Even in normal periods, your monthly cycle can affect a lot more than your uterus and vagina. Some symptoms are easy to explain. Cramps, for instance, happen because your uterus contracts when it sheds its lining (called the endometrium)—similar to the way it contracts during labor. No wonder it h

    Read Full Article
27. What's Normal, What's Not
    

      Everyday “blues” are like the common cold—everybody gets them, and you’ll shake them sooner or later, especially if your sadness comes from something specific, like breaking up with your boyfriend or fighting with your BFF. Clinical depression, on the other hand, is a major disease and often won’t

    Read Full Article
28. Mixed Messages
    

      Alcohol is a funny substance, surrounded by double standards. It’s socially and legally acceptable at some times in your life but not others. It’s against the law until age twenty-one but legal for adults. In small amounts it’s not harmful to your health, but in excess it can kill you. Your parent

    Read Full Article
29. Period Problems
    

      It’s a rare woman who gets through her life without a cramp, pain, or other period problem. Cramps, aches, irregular bleeding, and other menstrual issues are the top reasons that new teenage patients come to see me. I tell them that most period problems start with hormones, which affect your whole

    Read Full Article
30. Painful Periods
    

      Not a day goes by when a patient doesn’t come in for help with cramps, aches, and other period-related pain. That’s not surprising. Studies show that 60 to 92 percent of teenage girls have painful periods. So if you’re dealing with pain, know you’re not alone. About 15 percent of girls have pain t

    Read Full Article