Your teen’s doctor just suggested the birth control pill. Before you mutter, “I don’t think so,” hold on a minute. There might be a good reason — a medical reason — that has nothing to do with pregnancy prevention. Prescribing birth control doesn’t mean your teen will start having sex. Teen girls often go on…
Going through puberty can be a challenge for any child. But children who experience early puberty can have physical, social and emotional challenges that their peers may not, according to researchers. Early puberty or precocious puberty describes puberty that begins before age 8 in girls and before age 9 in boys. Girls are much more…
October is National Spina Bifida Awareness Month. Spina bifida is the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the U.S. The condition affects 1,500 children each year. What do you know about the condition? Learn more about spina bifida types, what causes spina bifida and much more. What is spina bifida? Spina bifida is a…
Turning 18 comes with a lot of milestones and new beginnings: graduating high school, becoming a legal adult and embarking on college or a career. One milestone young women should consider soon after they turn 18 is graduating from pediatric gynecological care to find a new OB/GYN provider who works with adults. Why find a…
If you’re female, chances are you’ve had — or will have — vaginal itching at some point in your life. Girls’ private part itching comes with swelling, burning and sometimes milky discharge. “In younger girls, we often see vaginitis caused by soaps, detergents, nonbreathable underwear and poor hygiene,” said Audra Campbell, APRN, Norton Children’s Gynecology. “These…
Puberty is a process that happens slowly over several years. It can be hard to tell when it’s beginning or when to expect changes. The outward signs are the easiest to recognize and provide a guide to where a girl is in the process. The age ranges in this graphic are average and every girl…
Talk to a teenager about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and if they don’t immediately shy away, they will likely offer a variety of answers. It turns out that many teens, and even adults, don’t know much about STDs until they get one. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 19…