The Youth Health Initiative

Text Sam - Sexual Health Advice SMS

2007-09-11T10:29:00.001+01:00

Teens tap into sexual advice via text | Society | SocietyGuardian.co.uk

Teens tap into sexual advice via text

Tom Willetts
Wednesday August 1, 2007
SocietyGuardian.co.uk

Text Sam received more than 42,000 requests for information during a pilot scheme.

This article was corrected on Friday August 10 2007

The article below had mistakenly stated that almost 90% of young people
in the London boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth have had a sexually
transmitted disease, when that figure actually applied to the
percentage of young people surveyed in the boroughs who would welcome
the Text Sam service.

A charity is rolling
out a pioneering service that gives young people sexual health advice
by text message after a successful pilot in the two boroughs with the
highest rate of sexually transmitted disease in Europe.

Safe
Haven is launching Text Sam across Britain to provide information for
young men and women about contraception, sexually transmitted diseases,
pregnancy and sexuality.

You, Your Friends, Your Friends of Friends

2007-08-07T16:59:00.001+01:00

By GINA KOLATA

Published: August 5, 2007

IN a way it all seems so obvious. Your friend found a lump in her breast, so you have that long-delayed mammogram. One by one your friends stop smoking, so you stop, too. Of course people are affected by their friends’ habits and their health.

But what seems obvious in the abstract can lead to surprising findings. A recent study found that obesity can spread from friend to friend much like a virus. When one person gains weight, close friends tend to gain weight, too.

The study, published recently in The New England Journal of Medicine,
involved a detailed analysis of a large social network of 12,067 people
who had been closely followed for 32 years, from 1971 to 2003.

Now, scientists believe that social networks not only can spread diseases, like the common cold,
but also may influence many types of behavior — negative and positive —
which then affect an individual’s health, as well as a community’s.

“In the past few years we have been seeing a network revolution,” says Albert-Laszlo Barabasi, a physics professor at the University of Notre Dame.
“People sensed that networks were out there, but they never had large
enough data sets to start understanding them in a quantitative fashion.”

For
example, he said, sociologists would go into a classroom and ask
students to list their friends. That, he said, can be useful, but
social networks are huge, and they evolve over time. They involve you,
your family, your friends, your friends’ friends and your friends’
friends’ friends.

Obesity - Smoking - Depression - Friends - Eating Disorders - Medicine and Health - New York Times

Lancets Adolescent Health series of papers

2007-07-31T17:38:00.001+01:00

Press Office The Lancet launches Adolescent Health Series

The Lancet launches Adolescent Health Series

Today’s generation of adolescents is the largest in history—nearly half of the world’s population is less than 25 years old and they face far more complex challenges to their health and development than their parents did. Many young people today are living with HIV/AIDS or depression, the leading causes of disease burden for adolescents worldwide. And hazardous alcohol use now accounts for 86% of the 8·6 million substance related deaths of 15–29 year olds globally.

In the series, The Lancet aims to highlight an area of health that remains neglected, marginalised, and ignored in many countries. Adolescence is a time in life that harbours many risks and dangers, but also one that presents great opportunities for sustained health through education and preventive efforts. Currently many countries fail to put sufficient emphasis on the special needs of adolescents, they are either treated the same as children or have to share facilities with older adults. The series calls for a concerted effort to create youth-friendly services worldwide, while putting young people at the heart of the policy-making to ensure their access to youth-friendly health services.

Sexual ignorance can lead to pregnancy

2007-07-31T15:04:00.001+01:00

According to the April 2005 issue of Journal of Adolescent Health,
teens who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are more likely to
take chances with other kinds of sex that increase the risk of STDs.

Research feedback of a nurse led sexual health YPC

2007-07-31T14:03:00.001+01:00

`No worries!': Young people's experiences of nurse-led drop-in sexual health services in South West England -- Ingram and Salmon 12 (4): 305 -- Journal of Research in Nursing

Journal of Research in Nursing, Vol. 12, No. 4, 305-315 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1744987107075583
© 2007 SAGE Publications
`No worries!'
Young people's experiences of nurse-led drop-in sexual health services in South West England
Jenny Ingram

Centre for Child & Adolescent Health, University of Bristol, jenny.ingram@bristol.ac.uk

Debra Salmon

Community Health Faculty of Health & Social Care, University of the West of England

`No Worries!' is a nurse-led drop-in sexual health service for young people in one Primary Care Trust in South West England. The service aims to provide sexual health promotion, contraception, STI testing and a range of health promotion advice. The service was evaluated from the young people's perspectives using quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Attendance data, questionnaires and interviews explored patterns of use, effectiveness and acceptability of three clinics, two in areas of social deprivation and a third with increasing teenage conception rates.

Questionnaire data were collected from 153 young people (232 clinic attendances) and 18 were interviewed (aged 14—18 years). The pattern of service use varied across the clinics, with those from the lowest socio-economic community using fewer condoms, having more pregnancy tests and STI swabs. Average age of first intercourse was 15 years, and most visited the clinic after having sex rather than before. Young people found the service accessible and they highlighted close proximity to home and school, the drop-in nature, and confidentiality, professionalism and friendliness of staff. After using the service, respondents reported that they would be more likely to practise safer sex and change their behaviour.

Child Anorexia on rise in Australia

2007-07-31T13:39:00.001+01:00

Child anorexia cases overwhelm hospital - National - theage.com.au

Jill Stark
July 28
Royal Children's Hospital Eating Disorder inpatient admissions by age range.

Royal Children's Hospital Eating Disorder inpatient admissions by age range.

AdvertisementAdvertisement

AN ALARMING rise in the number of children being hospitalised with anorexia has forced Victoria's largest eating disorder service to close its doors to new patients.

The Royal Children's Hospital is struggling to cope with a sharp increase in girls with the illness.

Admissions among 10 to 13-year-olds increased from three in 2003 to 43 last year.

Canadian teens safer than in 1979

2007-07-31T13:21:00.001+01:00

TheStar.com - living - Canadian teens safer than in 1979

GOOD NEWS FOR PARENTS

Study finds deaths, injuries from car crashes, firearms, other mishaps have fallen dramatically

Jul 27, 2007 04:30 AM
Sheila Dabu
Living Reporter
Canadian teens are safer now than in the 1980s, according to a new national study in the Journal of Adolescent Health this month.

Most parents would say this contradicts the headlines and sound bites this summer about Toronto's tragic mix of teens and gun violence and high-speed crashes.

According to researchers at the Public Health Agency of Canada, teens may be safer today because of prevention programs that aim for safer driving and gun control.

But that doesn't mean parents can relax.

That's the problem

2007-07-24T16:30:00.001+01:00

That's the problem: President Bush suggests uninsured children go to hospital emergency rooms for their care | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
After the Senate Finance Committee approved an expansion of the federal Children's Health Insurance Program to cover nearly 10 million kids, President Bush offered a strange rationale for threatening to veto it.

"People have access to health care in America," he told an audience in Cleveland. "After all, you just go to an emergency room."

As any executive of a Houston hospital can attest, that is precisely the problem created by the high number of uninsured people in the United States. Texas has the highest rate of uninsured children in the nation, and Harris County the highest in the state. Those who lack insurance coverage frequently delay seeking medical care until they are seriously ill. Then they swamp hospital emergency rooms that are required by law to treat them even if the patient has no ability to pay.

Since emergency care is far more expensive than a scheduled visit to a doctor or clinic, hospitals wind up with large costs that they then pass on to insured patients using their overtaxed facilities. As a result, insurance companies raise their rates ever higher to cover the increased payouts, making their policies too expensive for more working families. The result is a health care system spiraling out of control and more children left unprotected and in poor health.

Youth work inspection framework

2007-07-17T17:28:00.001+01:00

Youth work inspection framework

Ofsted
is planning modifications to the enhanced youth inspection framework,
in response to feedback from local authorities and their partners, and
following discussion with key stakeholders in the sector

Full information at OFSTED website

The modifications take into account the developments outlined in the Youth Matters Green Paper and Youth Matters: Next Steps; Statutory guidance on positive activities; and the Education and Inspections Act 2006, which created a new requirement on local authorities to provide access to positive activities for young people.

The modified enhanced youth inspection framework will reflect how
recent legislative and structural issues are shaping the delivery of
youth work, and the progress made towards towards the introduction of
integrated youth support service arrangements in 2008.

Ofsted has developed its proposals in conjunction with its partner
inspectorates and commissions involved in the delivery of children’s
services inspections, as well as with the Department for Children,
Schools and Families (formely the DfES), the National Youth Agency, the
Association of Principal Youth and Community Officers and local
authority representatives.

Many aspects of the enhanced youth inspection framework will remain
the same. Specifically, the evaluation requirements that apply to the
inspection of youth work will remain focused on three general reporting
areas: the standards of young people’s achievement and the quality of
youth work; the quality of curriculum and resources; and leadership and
management.

Among suggested modifications to the enhanced youth inspection
framework are a greater focus on the five Every Child Matters outcomes
and reporting on how well local authorities consult with and involve
young people in decision making.

The inspections will still take place as an integral part of the joint area review process.

It is expected that the modified enhanced youth inspection framework will be launched in September 2007.

CareandHealth

Kings EAR nearly one year on.

2007-01-17T13:29:00.001Z

Watch this space.

www.kingsear.org.uk

Morning-after pill to be offered to 11-year-olds

2007-01-16T10:57:00.000Z

January 12 2007
Andrew Wander - icSouthLondon

KIDS as young as 11 are being offered the morning-after pill from school in a bid to cut teenage pregnancy.

Lambeth council is piloting a project at two secondaries.

Free pregnancy tests are also available.

Drop-in clinics have been set up at Stockwell Park School and the Park Centre in West Norwood as part of the scheme already set up in 13 schools across the country in November.

The clinics, run by specialist family planning nurses,offer students emergency contraception and pregnancy testing as well as advice and information about sexual matters.

It is hoped the scheme will help reduce the borough's rate of teenage pregnancy,which is one of the highest in the country.

The latest figures show one in 10 girls become pregnant before the age of 18.

Health chiefs also want to reduce the number of teenagers who contract sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

Lambeth's public health director, Ruth Wallis, said: "We have put the reduction in the teenage pregnancy rate and the improvement in the sexual health of young people among our top priorities."

And the council has supported the move.

Sam Townend, deputy cabinet member for young people, said: "Teenage pregnancy rates in the borough have been very high.

"We hope that this will prove an effective way to tackle the problem."

If the initiative is successful, council chiefs say that other schools in the borough could start offering similar services.

The latest figures show the level of STIs has shot up by 12 per cent in the UK. London has one of the highest levels of infection. The major STIs include HIV/Aids, gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydia, genital herpes and genital warts.

Getting Teens Hooked Into Preventive Health Care

2006-11-30T10:45:00.000Z

Teen Health 411: Getting Teens Hooked Into Preventive Health Care

A recent issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health (October 2006) included an article entitled "Vaccination: An Opportunity to Enhance Early Adolescent Preventive Services," by Rupp, Rosenthal, Middleman. This aricle provided some great suggestions for how clinicians can use the new vaccines (HPV and meningitis) as opportunities to provide preventive services to a population that traditionally has received little preventive care.

There are many reasons why teens do not seem to get the preventive care they need during adolescence.

Abstinence an option with consequences?

2006-11-30T10:40:00.000Z

HEALTH: Many teenagers who say they have taken a virginity pledge retract that statement after having intercourse

According to the analyst, it is important for researchers exploring adolescent health to "account for the fact that sensitive information [provided by teenagers] is less reliable than other data and the fact that reliability varies according to social context." She further notes that "if [teenagers] who deny their sexual pasts perceive their new history as correct, they will underestimate the STD risk stemming from their prepledge sexual behavior." Consequently, she concludes that health care providers should explicitly ask youth who have taken virginity pledges if they had had sex before taking the pledge, and programs that encourage virginity pledges should "ensure that pledgers know they bear the risks of previous sexual behaviors."

Why the web? Young people don;'t like Newspapers....

2006-11-29T18:39:00.000Z

- the fact that the average age of newspaper readers is going up: from
51 a few years ago, to 54 now. Although the aggregate (online plus
offline) readership of papers, like the Guardian and The Observer, that
have embraced the web enthusiastically seems to be bucking that trend
to some extent, the sad fact is that young people don't read papers.
Period.

Young people don't like us. Who can blame them? | Business | The Observer

13-year-old with a cold? Quiz them on their sex lives, GPs are told

2006-11-29T18:36:00.000Z

read the whole article here:

Children visiting their GPs with minor ailments could be closely questioned about their sex lives as part of an attempt to cut teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

A Government health watchdog wants doctors to target children as young as 13, even if they have not asked for family planning advice. Family doctors will be ordered to make more effort to offer contraception to sexually active young teenagers, as well as warning them of the risks of infections including chlamydia, which can harm fertility.

They will be expected to spend 15 to 20 minutes inquiring into the sex life of each teenager, even if the teenager comes in for an ailment such as a sore throat.

The measures, proposed in draft guidance by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice), were drawn up to try to stem the rising tide of sexually transmitted infections and Britain's alarming number of teenage pregnancies, which cost the taxpayer £63 million a year.

However, GPs say that they will struggle to find the time to carry out counselling, while critics say the measures will do little to stop the spread of sexual diseases or prevent schoolgirls from getting pregnant. The policy also appears to contradict the latest Government message, which urges young people to "delay" having sex.

Teenagers strip off for condoms campaign

2006-11-29T18:31:00.000Z

Telegraph | News | Teenagers strip off for condoms campaign

Hard-hitting images of young adults going "on the
pull" will feature in a £4 million government campaign to stem rising
rates of sexually transmitted infections.

A television advert showing teenagers undressing each other, while
wearing jewellery and underwear displaying slogans such as "I've got
gonorrhoea", is designed to encourage condom use among 18- to
24-year-olds.

Caroline Flint, the health minister, said: "Some STIs, like chlamydia,
are on the increase. This campaign is not about encouraging promiscuity
but about saying to those who are already sexually active, 'Sex without a
condom is seriously risky'."

However, she hinted that the Government might go back on an earlier pledge to
spend £50 million over three years on campaigns to combat STIs. She
said: "Like other parts of the health service we are having to look at
how we spend our money."

Deborah Jack, of the National Aids Trust, said: "To cut back on a
sexual health campaign is the worst kind of false economy."

TEENAGE HEALTH WEBSITES: TOP THREE

2006-11-29T18:24:00.000Z

In the months when Google has been hailed as a medical revolution...
enabling Doctors and students to diagnose rare disorders an diseases
with a few well chosen key words... more people professionals and
patients alike are going to the web for help in diagnosing or
understanding their diagnosis....

The Times writes an interesting summary of some of the best health websites out there...

TEENAGE HEALTH WEBSITES: TOP THREE

Wellbeing on the web 3: the best portals - Health - Times Online

Health features The Times November 11, 2006 Body Wellbeing on the web 3: the best portals

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8123-2446026,00.html (not all Adolescent Health specific.)

Factors that shape young people's sexual behaviour: a systematic review

2006-11-29T18:08:00.000Z

you can register for free to the Lancet for article abstracts here
Introduction

With nearly half of new HIV infections worldwide occurring in young people aged 15–24 years,1
changing sexual behaviour in this group will be crucial in tackling the
growing pandemic. Campaigns targeting young people have encouraged
safer sex, either through condom use or avoiding penetration.
Prevention efforts have often involved giving out condoms free of
charge and providing information through school talks and leaflets.

Yet
even where condoms have been freely available and awareness of sexual
disease high, such campaigns have often had disappointing results.
Qualitative research is starting to show that strong social and
cultural forces shape sexual behaviour and is helping to explain why
providing information and condoms—while important—are often not enough
to change this behaviour. In particular, such work helps us understand
why some HIV prevention programmes have been ineffective and how they
might be improved.

Summary

Background

Since
nearly half of new HIV infections worldwide occur among young people
aged 15–24 years, changing sexual behaviour in this group will be
crucial in tackling the pandemic. Qualitative research is starting to
reveal how social and cultural forces shape young people's sexual
behaviour and can help explain why information campaigns and condom
distribution programmes alone are often not enough to change it. We
undertook a systematic review to identify key themes emerging from such
research, to help inform policymakers developing sexual health
programmes, and guide future research.

Drug Education Forum Blog

2006-11-29T17:21:00.000Z

For professionals working with adolescents upto date knowledge about drugs and the issues is crucial. Policies and papers are one thing but rapport with the young people we work with and helping them ask the questions and discover the answers is sometimes another.

This blog may be helpful for those of us working with young people with issues around substance misuse.

del.icio.us/register

Drug Education Forum Blog

The Youth Vote debate - discuss

2006-11-23T10:15:00.000Z

So the American Mid Terms were a success for the democrats thanks to Youtube and satirists like Stephen Colbert they said.... (see previous post)
and news stories ran saying "Thirteen out of every 100 voters who went to the polls Tuesday were under the age of 30, and more than half of them chose Democrats, experts say.
About 10 million young people voted, according to analysts who studied exit poll data. That's 2 million more than the previous congressional midterm election in 2002."

However in the UK it's another stories and apparently Labour are panicking that the UKs young people won't follow suit....

"Blears warns of democratic timebomb as young people shun elections"
THE chairwoman of the Labour Party yesterday warned of a "demographic democratic time-bomb" as young people reject the ballot box."
Scotsman.com News - UK - Blears warns of democratic timebomb as young people shun elections

Teens don't email

2006-11-23T10:09:00.000Z

Why teens don't email

By Kristin Scott

A new survey shows that teenagers are less likely to communicate via email than any other demographic, including baby boomers. Less than one fifth of the 13-17 years olds surveyed profess to using email to communicate with friends, ...

Global study dispels common myths about sex

2006-11-21T23:09:00.000Z

Research reveals surprising details about STDs, loss of virginity, and more

Associate PRESS

: 7:00 p.m. ET Oct. 31, 2006

LONDON
- In the first comprehensive global study of sexual behavior, British
researchers found that people aren’t losing their virginity at ever
younger ages, married people have the most sex, and there is no firm
link between promiscuity and sexually transmitted diseases.

The
study was published Wednesday as part of a series on sexual and
reproductive health by the British medical journal The Lancet.
Professor Kaye Wellings of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicines and her colleagues analyzed data from 59 countries.

Experts
say the study will be useful not only in dispelling popular myths about
sexual behavior, but in shaping policies that will help improve sexual
health across the world.

read the rest

Why young people don't use condoms Social

2006-11-21T23:07:00.000Z

Cultural factors influence decisions, researchers say

LONDON - Social and cultural factors, not just
unavailability or ignorance, influence why young people do not use
condoms, researchers said on Friday.

Some
sexually active people under 25 years of age associate condoms with a
lack of trust, while others believe carrying them could imply sexual
experience, which might be a plus for men but not necessarily for women.

In
a review of more than 250 studies of young people’s sexual behavior,
researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
discovered striking similarities in what affects young sexual behavior
in different countries.

read the rest

Latest Publicity on the Youth Health Initiative's Kings E.A.R. Project

2006-11-21T16:56:00.000Z

Adolescent health: The emergency room
15/11/06 Young People Now

Young people either get placed with adults or children at accident and emergency departments. But one London hospital has set up a room where teenagers can speak to a youth worker. Andy Hillier reports.

The EAR, as it is more commonly known, is actually situated within the accident and emergency (A&E) department of King's College Hospital in Denmark Hill, south London.

The room was set up in March this year after the emergency department noticed an increase in the number of young people it was treating. Peter Thompson, consultant and clinical lead for paediatric emergency medicine, says: "When we looked at the figures we found that nearly 10,000 young people used our accident and emergency department last year. Some had self-harmed, others were using drugs and some were the victims of attacks."

But Thompson and some of his colleagues felt teenage patients were not very well catered for within A&E. The children's facilities offered by the department were often too childish for many of the young people and most weren't ready to use adult services.

So after going to the local primary care trust to see if funding could be made available, the room was set up and John Poyton, a youth worker at The Youth Health Initiative, was appointed.

Offer of support
"A lot of those who have been physically assaulted or subject to violence may just want to come and receive treatment and then go," says Poyton. "They might not think they need any follow-up support but we'll send them a text and give them the option."

The service also works closely with other agencies locally. For instance, if a young person is self-harming they can be referred to the child and adolescent mental health service located at the hospital. Young people who have been attacked can also be provided with advice about victim support services.

"We want the service to be as preventive as possible," says Poyton. "Once a teenager gets into a cycle of using drugs or self-harm it can be difficult to stop. But by linking them with other services and being a place where we can offer professional advice we can address that behaviour early on."

But just having a room where young people can hang out is equally as important as the follow-on services the hospital provides. Poyton says: "Hanging round for a couple of hours to be seen by a doctor or nurse can seem like an eternity to a young person, especially when they're feeling vulnerable. Having somewhere to play computer games or use the internet really helps take their mind off the pain."

For full article click here

www.youthhealth.info

Doctors back youth work role in fight against mental illness

2006-11-21T16:47:00.000Z

The British Medical Association has flagged up a key role for youth workers in tackling mental health problems among vulnerable young people. Backing the theme of Youth Work Week 2006 – children’s mental health and emotional well-being – the BMA said skilled youth workers had the ability to reach out to many of the young people most vulnerable to mental health problems.

“The skills of youth workers in engaging with young people and enabling them to get their voices heard and to influence service provision can make a big contribution to improving the situation,” said head of BMA Ethics and Science Dr Vivienne Nathanson.

“We’re calling on government to address the current shortage of mental healthcare professionals, but we also want to see services working well together, and urge youth services and child and adolescent mental health services to celebrate what they are doing together and to make sure they are using each others’ knowledge and skills to the full.”

Nathanson added that, as well as being in a position to fulfil the Youth Matters aspiration of providing every young person with someone to talk to, youth workers could also help spread the word about the mental health benefits of a having good diet and taking physical exercise.
“Youth work projects that encourage active lifestyles and healthy eating will be making a real contribution to mental health,” she said.

www.communitycare.co.uk/mentalhealth

Video: Social Networking trends and youth

2006-11-19T23:16:00.000Z

"If you wanna connect with the youth you gotta get into social networking..." (Demitri Martin)
enjoy this brilliant satirical look at the myspace/ social networking phenomenon etc... and raises the issue (albeit satirically) of internet safety in the tech savvy youth culture.

News: Police chief sparks row over stigma of sex with children

2006-11-19T10:42:00.000Z

Police chief sparks row over stigma of sex with children - Sunday Times - Times Online

Being on the Alert for the latest news stories

2006-11-17T17:14:00.000Z

Google has a whole host of functionality when it comes to keeping uptodate and informed on the latest news articles and stories as they happen, when they happen.

One of their amazing tools is Google Alerts - a brilliant way of letting google do the hard work and emailing you updates to the key words you search for...

Google Alerts is where most of the time is saved to keep a (b)log of relevant adolescent health stories current.

I hope you find it useful... And if you fancy trying googles host of new web applications/software then do please feel free to email stories and references thru that you think i might have missed.

Google Alerts

Every child matters - in all we do

2006-11-17T10:22:00.000Z

For those of us have been following the paper and framework from the outset and for those of us catching up and shaping our work.

The Youth Health Initiative is commited to working with the Every Child Matters framework.

Please feel free to email John@youthhealth.info if you would like to discuss further.

Home - Every Child Matters

hoodies - the health risks not what you think!

2006-11-16T00:59:00.000Z

A doctor has warned young New Zealanders of the latest accessory which could be dangerous for their health: the hoodie.

Dr Glenn Twentyman from the Youth Justice Centre at Wiri, south Auckland,
said yesterday hoodies could be depriving youth of the sunlight they
needed to build their bones and stay energised.
Hoodies could be a health risk - doctor - New Zealand's source for health news on Stuff.co.nz

Healthy Eating - It's for life not just for christmas!

2006-11-15T23:58:00.000Z

Jaime Oliver and others have done some amazing work in revitalizing kids taste buds and lives recently. Hopefully the effect will be long lasting and the youth of today will make a difference when theyre packing their own kids lunch boxes in 10, 20 or 30 years time!

Occasionally I am surprised that the parents of the young people we work with don't seem to know the basics of nutrition... well at least there's information readily available and nicely packaged... just like a banana!

BBC - Health - Healthy living - Teenagers

Book recommendation: Shattered Lives by Camila Batmanghelidjh

2006-11-15T23:42:00.000Z

Amazon.co.uk Reviews
Synopsis

"Shattered Lives"
bears witness to the lives of children who have experienced abuse and
neglect, and highlights the effects of early traumatic episodes.
Chapters take the form of letters to a child capturing their life
experiences, hugely impacted by sexual abuse, parental substance misuse
and loss, leading to feelings of shame, rejection and worthlessness.
Batmanghelidjh offers understanding for those baffled by these
hard-to-reach children and warns against stigmatizing them for their
problem behaviour. In her critique of existing structures, she exposes
the plight of children who are overlooked by the authorities and
denounces those who value bureaucracy over the welfare of the
individual child. Society's failure to acknowledge the truth of their
experiences and act to change the environment in which such
mistreatment can flourish is, she strongly argues, leading to the death
of childhood. The book is a clarion call for change.

Amazon.co.uk: Shattered Lives: Children Who Live with Courage and Dignity: Books: Camila Batmanghelidjh

Inspiring Adolescence

2006-11-15T23:11:00.000Z

It would appear that the Adolescents of america (in the text book adolescence reaches to 24 yrs of age remember) have caused ripples.... to make waves in the midterm elections...

Youtube a vastly popular internet video site (recently purchase for 800million pounds of google shares) has been airing the funniest and most poignant headline news and political satire thru clips of John Stewarts 'The Daily Show' and Stephen Colberts 'The Colbert Report' (pronounced 'rapport' (silent 'T')).

Who says young people aren't intersted in polictics or making a difference?

What ever your politik it's inspiring stuff...

YouTube - YouTube Comedy Central deliver Democrat victory

Times Online rebutts the latest teen cynicism...

2006-11-15T16:55:00.000Z

Young, gifted and ours, thank God - Comment - Times Online

british teenagers aggression...

2006-11-15T16:47:00.000Z

British teens' bad behaviour

Teenagers in this country are more aggressive, drink more and get into more trouble than almost any other country in Europe.

27% of 15-year-olds get drunk regularly compared to three per cent in France and five per cent in Italy.

Researchers say parents don't spend enough time with their kids because of things like higher divorce rates and longer working hours.

beware the new breed of cyber bully

2006-11-15T16:28:00.000Z

Myspace, youtube and countless other online social sites are more than
a phenomenon theyre a constant part of young peoples social lives...
however, it isn't all safer than hanging on street corners. Internet
\safety is a real issue for those naive teens unaware of how public their
'profiles'/ online lives are.
Technological trauma: cyber bullies more powerful than schoolyard thugs

drugs R US

2006-11-14T00:15:00.000Z

Depression is a growing problem in children — and it is now legal for British doctors to give Prozac to eight-year-olds. So will more parents be tempted to use pills to make their children happy? John Cornwell investigates. Photograph: Mark Guthrie

The alarm calls started ahead of the new school year. A strident chorus of doctors, politicians, religious leaders and child-interest groups is claiming that too many of our kids are stressed, dysfunctional and suffering from mental illness. Tony Blair and the Archbishop of Canterbury have focused on inadequate child rearing, such as the poor parenting skills of teenage single mums; David Cameron blames lack of common-or-garden physical affection. And while leading psychiatrists, such as Ian Goodyer of Cambridge University, continue to cite traditional culprits – marriage break-up and domestic discord – a constituency of 100 childhood experts, led by the neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield, is castigating unprecedented pressures at home and at school – from TV advertising to government-legislated school tests, from lack of imaginative reading matter to the tyranny of middle-class parental ambition. “Children,” says Greenfield, “are being pushed beyond their limits.”

Drugs 'R' us - Sunday Times - Times Online

Google Scholar - read research papers of interest

2006-11-13T21:22:00.000Z

Googles done it again... Taking the web by storm and speedily becoming the 'Microsoft Office' of the Internet...

Check out the scholarly research papers online for whatever research youre doing....
for example... adolescent health finds,
adolescent health - Google Scholar

youth health conference in NZ

2006-11-07T00:04:00.000Z

http://www.involve.org.nz/
"Involve is a fantastic opportunity
for all those who work with young people and who are
passionate about youth health and development to come
together, share ideas, and discuss ways in which the
government and the sector can work more effectively together
to promote the best interests of young people,"
"Improving and
promoting youth health, strengthening and supporting youth
workers, and working collaboratively with and across the
youth development sector "
Nanaia
Mahuta said.

Some of the key speakers are from the UK... when's our Youth Health conference?

Scoop: Conference a chance for positive focus on youth

Adolescent and child services in hospitals

2006-11-06T21:38:00.000Z

Wimbledon Hospital.
High Praise For Hospitals Child Services (from Your Local Guardian)

HPV vaccine: What you need to know

2006-11-06T21:36:00.000Z

HPV vaccine: What you need to know

Recommendations by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG):

The
ACOG Committee on Adolescent Health Care and the ACOG Working Group on Immunization recommend the vaccination be given to females aged 9 to 26
years. To maximize the protective benefit of the vaccine, the ACOG Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended the initial vaccination target of females aged 11 or 12 years. Certainly, people will worry that giving the vaccine to young girls may be construed as giving the "green light" to girls to become sexually active. But since the vaccine will not cure one of an already existent infection, to get the maximum benefit from the vaccine it needs to be
given before any sexual activity and, therefore, before any possibleexposure has occurred. What parent wouldn't want to be able to reduce their daughter's chances of developing cervical cancer by 70 percent?
Further information regarding the recommendations of ACOG as well as
more information about the vaccine can be found at their website,
ACOG.com.
Summit Daily News for Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper and Frisco Colorado - News

Baywatch and Beowulf: Relationship Between Media Literacy and Adolescent Smoking

2006-11-06T21:04:00.000Z

A new study reported by the Journal of Adolescent Health
has found that media literacy in students is substantially correlated
with smoking behavior. The study found in particular that students with
a higher smoking media literacy index were nearly 50% less likely to be
current smokers or be susceptible to smoking in the future than their
peers.
Baywatch and Beowulf: Relationship Between Media Literacy and Adolescent Smoking

The actual study from the journal can be found here:
Journal of Adolescent Health

Internet safety and online bullying

2006-11-06T20:56:00.000Z

Myspace, youtube and countless other online social sites are more than a phenomenon theyre a constant part of young peoples social lives... however, it isn't all safer han hanging on street corners. Internet safety is a real issue for those niave teens unaware of how public their 'profiles'/ online lives are.
Technological trauma: cyber bullies more powerful than schoolyard thugs

google alerts - kings emergency adolescent room

2006-10-28T18:02:00.000+01:00

Health - redthread

7) Follow up and support through the Kings Emergency Departments "Emergency Adolescent Room" (EAR). email Email print Print. redthread is the trading name ...
http://www.redthread.tv/page-360.htm

Health - redthread

Schools to tackle sex and drugs

2006-10-28T18:01:00.000+01:00

Schools to tackle sex and drugs
Wairarapa Times Age - Masterton,New Zealand
... Marie McKay, Wairarapa District Health Board youth health portfolio manager, said the health and addiction programmes would form part of two brand new services ...

Schools to tackle sex and drugs - Wairarapa Times-Age - Oct 25 2006 5:00PM - localnews

Childhood wasted before screen

2006-10-27T01:06:00.000+01:00

Childhood wasted before screen
New Zealand Herald - New Zealand
... They also need time just to be children. Dr Peter Watson, of child and adolescent health services in South Auckland, says there are worrying signs here too. ...

Childhood wasted before screen - 21 Oct 2006 - National News

Action plan to cut down on teenage pregnancies

2006-10-27T01:00:00.000+01:00

Action plan to cut down on teenage pregnancies
This Is Lancashire - Blackburn,England,UK
... It is hoped that the opening of the Parallel young people's health centre in Bolton town centre in 2004, which is the only youth health centre in the country ...

Action Plan To Cut Down On Teenage Pregnancies (from This Is Lancashire)

Analysis calls for focused attention to health needs of young adults

2006-10-20T10:26:00.000+01:00

Analysis calls for focused attention to health needs of young adults

The
health status of young adults is far worse than that of teens, with
mortality rates more than double due in part to increased rates of
injury, homicide and suicide, according to a new analysis by UCSF
adolescent medicine researchers.

Media-Newswire.com - Press Release Distribution - PR Agency

Some media savvy teens may be less likely to smoke

2006-10-20T10:24:00.000+01:00

Making teens more media savvy
about the subtle pro-smoking messages in movies and other media
may reduce their likelihood of smoking, new research suggests.

Some media savvy teens may be less likely to smoke | Science&Health | Reuters.co.uk

Paxton Green Young Peoples Clinic change of times

2006-10-18T18:57:00.000+01:00

Paxton Green Young Peoples Clinic has been running a Tuesday 4-6pm slot for over 5 years.

All that is changing is that we will now see young people for drop in appointments from 3.30pm until 5.30pm ... so there's less waiting straight out of the school gate!

youthhealth social bookmarking

2006-10-18T18:37:00.000+01:00

2006-10-13T00:16:00.000+01:00

King’s College Hospital launches UK’s First Emergency Adolescent Service

27 September 2006 - In response to increasing numbers of young people attending the Emergency Department, King’s College Hospital has introduced an emergency adolescent service, the first of its kind in the UK.

Last year King’s saw over 9,500 emergency patients aged between 12 and 19 years, at its South London location. King’s is seeing a definite increase in young people attending the department, for reasons related to violence, sexual health, substance abuse and self-harm. With this in mind King’s is taking a radical new approach in the care of young people.

The new Emergency Adolescent Room (EAR) will provide young people with a dedicated area specifically designed to cater to their needs and interests, and is teenage friendly with the use of a computer, music station and TV. In addition to providing the standard emergency services the new adolescent service offers support, advice and counseling from youth worker, John Poyton.

John has over 10 years of experience working with young people and can give help and advice on a range of issues. Users of the service will also be able to access links to, and information on relevant organisations, that provide services to young people not offered in an Emergency Department environment.

Tricia Fitzgerald, Head of Nursing in the Emergency Department at King’s commented: "It is vital that we provide the best possible service for all using the Emergency Department. Staff became aware that the needs of young people weren’t entirely being met. With the advent of the Emergency Adolescent Service we can now offer young people the help and support that they need, in an environment dedicated to them. This service will allow us to sign post services early to potentially vulnerable adolescents.

"Having services like this in our emergency departments can only help to support them at times of crises and we hope that young people will find this service of great benefit."

As well as providing better care for young patients, the new service will create links and relationships with key organisations and groups.

John Poyton, EAR Youth Worker commented: "With the number of assaults rising and the breadth of issues facing adolescents increasing, EAR hopes to enable support, signposting and someone to listen for those who find themselves in crisis. The new service gives us the opportunity to engage with young people during the vulnerable transitional age of adolescent. Having this within an emergency environment now means we are able to provide the support and advice needed at the time of an incident, working almost like a one stop shop for troubled and victimised young people."

The Emergency Department Adolescent Room and adolescent youth services are available for all patients aged between 12 and 19 years old presenting at King’s College Hospital Emergency Department. The Emergency Adolescent Room is open to young patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with Youth Worker, John Poyton available two days a week, who sees patients presenting whilst on duty, and follows up with those who have been seen in the Emergency Department previously.

redthread youth network

2006-10-11T22:42:00.000+01:00

"redthread is a Youth Work Charity based in Dulwich, Herne Hill and surrounding areas. It works in partnership with community projects, churches, schools and health care providers - to nurture the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of young people, and help them achieve their potential."

web - www.redthread.tv phone - 02082998647 email - info@redthread.tv

The Youth Health Initiative

2006-10-11T13:29:00.000+01:00

This is the start of the Youth Health Initiative blog with the aim to help keep Adolescent Health professionals in touch with developments and news of the partnership of youthwork and health care.

With a wealth of web resources out there now from google alerts and del.icio.us website bookmarks we should be able to network and keep our finger 'on the pulse' with even greater effect.

Please feel free to email if you have any questions or comments to add. john@youthhealth.info

The Youth Health Initiative

Text Sam - Sexual Health Advice SMS

Teens tap into sexual advice via text

You, Your Friends, Your Friends of Friends

Lancets Adolescent Health series of papers

Sexual ignorance can lead to pregnancy

Research feedback of a nurse led sexual health YPC

Child Anorexia on rise in Australia

Canadian teens safer than in 1979

That's the problem

Youth work inspection framework

Kings EAR nearly one year on.

Morning-after pill to be offered to 11-year-olds

Getting Teens Hooked Into Preventive Health Care

Abstinence an option with consequences?

Why the web? Young people don;'t like Newspapers....

13-year-old with a cold? Quiz them on their sex lives, GPs are told

Teenagers strip off for condoms campaign

TEENAGE HEALTH WEBSITES: TOP THREE

Factors that shape young people's sexual behaviour: a systematic review

you can register for free to the Lancet for article abstracts here Introduction

Summary

Drug Education Forum Blog

The Youth Vote debate - discuss

Teens don't email

Global study dispels common myths about sex

Research reveals surprising details about STDs, loss of virginity, and more

Why young people don't use condoms Social

Latest Publicity on the Youth Health Initiative's Kings E.A.R. Project

Doctors back youth work role in fight against mental illness

Video: Social Networking trends and youth

News: Police chief sparks row over stigma of sex with children

Being on the Alert for the latest news stories

Every child matters - in all we do

hoodies - the health risks not what you think!

Healthy Eating - It's for life not just for christmas!

Book recommendation: Shattered Lives by Camila Batmanghelidjh

Inspiring Adolescence

Times Online rebutts the latest teen cynicism...

british teenagers aggression...

British teens' bad behaviour

beware the new breed of cyber bully

drugs R US

Depression is a growing problem in children — and it is now legal for British doctors to give Prozac to eight-year-olds. So will more parents be tempted to use pills to make their children happy? John Cornwell investigates. Photograph: Mark Guthrie

Google Scholar - read research papers of interest

youth health conference in NZ

Adolescent and child services in hospitals

HPV vaccine: What you need to know

Baywatch and Beowulf: Relationship Between Media Literacy and Adolescent Smoking

Internet safety and online bullying

google alerts - kings emergency adolescent room

Schools to tackle sex and drugs

Childhood wasted before screen

Action plan to cut down on teenage pregnancies

Analysis calls for focused attention to health needs of young adults

Some media savvy teens may be less likely to smoke

Paxton Green Young Peoples Clinic change of times

youthhealth social bookmarking

King’s College Hospital launches UK’s First Emergency Adolescent Service

redthread youth network

The Youth Health Initiative

you can register for free to the Lancet for article abstracts here
Introduction