Welcome to Adolescent and Young Adult Clinic at Maine Medical Partners South Portland office! We look forward to working with you to take care of your teenager.
As teens become adults and take more control of their lives, our office will ask them to be more actively involved in their health and health care. This responsibility is a slow process that starts around age 12 and increases as they get closer to being an adult.
Some areas of teen health we may talk about during an exam are:
Eating and how to be physically active
Fighting and violence
Sex and sexuality
Safety and driving
Smoking, drinking, and drug use
Sadness and stress
Success and strengths
We support and encourage teens to talk about their health with their parents or guardians. But teens may be embarrassed to have an exam or talk about some things in front of their parents.
This is a normal part of growing up. We give all teens a chance to be seen privately without a parent in the room. Based on the child’s maturity, this starts at about age 12 years.
In order to best take care of your teen, we offer some confidential services. “Confidential” means that we will only share with you what happens in these visits if your teen says it is okay, or if we believe someone is in danger. In Maine, teens can receive some of the health services we listed above on their own.
Some pediatricians in the office are happy to see your teen after he or she turns 18. Doctors and nurses in this clinic have received added training that help them treat the health needs of young adults. In particular, Dr. Fanburg specializes in adolescent and young adult medicine and sees patients until they are 25 years old.
We are happy to talk to you about any questions or concerns you may have about this letter and your teen’s health. Together, we can work to keep your teen healthy.
Adolescent Medicine Services Offered at this clinic:
Well exams, school/college/sports/camp physicals, basic chest colds, complex health care, sports injuries, asthma, birth control, irregular menses, acne and skin conditions, substance use, behavioral health (ADHD, depression, anxiety), obesity, and eating disorders.