Clinical Chats: a Podcast for Sexual and Reproductive Health Professionals · Clinical Training Center for Sexual and Reproductive Health

Providing Sexual and Reproductive Health Care for Adolescents

March 26, 2025·41 min·2 clips

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Clinical Chats is a podcast for sexual and reproductive health professionals. It is a program from the CTCSRH, the Clinical Training Center for Sexual and Reproductive Health, and is funded by the Office of Population Affairs to enhance the knowledge of Title X clinicians and sexual and reproductive health staff. This episode is the second of four episodes on the new Quality Family Planning Guidelines. Dr. Aletha Akers joins Dr. Kristen Metcalf-Wilson and Dr. Tammy Bennett for the discussion. The episode focuses on best practices for sexual and reproductive health care for adolescents. Akers says the goal is to keep adolescents safe and healthy while helping them learn to navigate care on their own. She starts with the visit structure. The adolescent and parental caregiver are seen together first. Then the clinician speaks with the adolescent alone. The parent or guardian steps out for that portion so the teen can talk more freely and build confidence speaking with doctors on their own. Afterward, the clinician returns to the caregiver and answers any remaining questions or concerns. The private portion of the visit is used to ask about health risk behaviors so the clinician can offer guidance on staying healthy. The episode specifically covers smoking, substance use, sexual health, safety, and mental health. Akers treats those questions as part of routine adolescent care. She also explains what confidentiality means in this setting. Information discussed with the adolescent stays private, with exceptions such as suicidal or homicidal thoughts or acts, life threatening drug use, or other situations that may cause bodily harm. The conversation also encourages adolescents to talk with parents, guardians, or other trusted adults. That reflects the reality that caregivers often see young people more often than clinicians do. The episode closes with script ideas that make the message easier to use in practice, turning guideline language into a clinic conversation.

As heard by us

A steady adolescent care guide that turns confidentiality, screening, and family involvement into usable clinical language.

This episode treats adolescent sexual and reproductive health care as a real clinic visit, not a slogan. Dr. Aletha Akers, Dr. Kristen Metcalf-Wilson, and Dr.

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Why you'd press play

You need a ready-made script for adolescent visits, not vague advice.

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