Show ARRACTICAI'GUIOE iTOlBBTiTER ¥n Moletcents face special medical problems— but they may rocelva tbe worst baalth care In the country Here's bow ta be sure they pet tbe hebi they need: wm ¥1 HEN Meghan Cava- naugh of Ridge: field Conn disring had covered that her belly-butto- n become infected she knew just who to call —Dr Serafima Glouzgal the internist she her mother and sisters had been seeing for the past seven years The doctor squeezed her in for an appointment that afternoon and by evening her prescription for antibiotics had begun to work Dr Glouzgal also gave her some candid advice Meghan says: “She told me ‘If you were my daughter I would be very angry at you for piercing your navel This infection could damage vital internal organs’ "Although Meghan says she listened she still intends to Imp the belly-butto- n ring lit udcal risks tiau tact Not all teens' are as fortunate as Meghan in the medical care they receive Teens may have the worst health care in die country partly because they see doctors less than any other age group partly because of poverty (poor teens have less access to health care) and partly because parents and doctors don't always take their symptoms seriously American teens face major health issues More than half of teens aged 15 to 19 have had sexual intercourse nearly a million become pregnant each year and an estimated 3 million contract an STD disease) annualof high school sely More than niors repot at least some alcohol use And besides the problems that make accidents tabloid headliner-includi- ng substanire violence abuse and mental- (sexually-transmitte- d 709b health problems— teens have other health needs that must be addressed These range hum poor nutrition lack of exercise and obesity to spoits-rela- t- Meghan Cavanaugh 18 turned to her family internist Dr Serafima Gtourgal when her belly-buttring baeame Infected She got antHdotlce— and some eandM advice about piercing on B Y JOYCE CAB EL B I : 1 "Item mv more it risk ami” ifes says oca doctor who treats them Hu behaviors that Uds always experimented wRhluppenat yonder ages" ed ihjuries smoking bodypiercing and steroid use “Teens are more at risk now than they were a couple of decades ago" says Dr Carmel Foley chief of tire Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Schneider Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park NY “The risky behaviors kids always experi- merited with happen at younger ages even though children mature phys- - ically at younger and younger ages there has been no parallel emotional maturity We have too many adoles- - 12 to 14—in icine at Indiana University Medical mature bodies with immature minds” Another problem is that those bodies don't always conform to societal ideals Cenlerinlixfianapoiis “Obesity and eat-Aing disorders are on the rise for a num- ber of reasons” she explains “We have lifestyles that are more sedentary and so busy that they don' tallow us to plan and cats— especially tire ones says Dr Margaret Blythe a pediatrician with a subspecialty in adolescent med-- COVE PHOTOGRAPHS BY RONNIE KAUFUAWCORBIS STOCK MARKET (FAU1UI WORKOUn ARIEL SKELLEYCORBtS STOCK MARKET TARDIFCORBIS STOCK MARKET (HELP YOUR TEEN STAY HEALTHY)! WEALTH HISTORY) DEBORAH OAY (BABY DENTAL CARER JOSE LUB FELAEZFCORBB STOCK MARKET (HEALTH INSURANCE) AND ROB LEWINEXORBIS STOCK MARKET (CHILD'S TV VIEWING) PMma nd IB tOOt PUUMMMAZMI |