Welcome!

Welcome to the AAP home for adolescent health information...your place to find information and resources about caring for teenagers. On these pages, you will find resources for your office, patients and families, as well as information about AAP adolescent health publications, initiatives and projects, as well as the latest news about what's going on in the field of adolescent health.

There is also a section dedicated to section members that you'll want to check out. If you're not a member, it's easy to join.

We hope you'll add www.aap.org/adolescenthealth to your favorites and come back often, as information will be updated frequently.

Note: The items with the lock symbol are only accessible to AAP members; areas of the Web site accessible only to SOAH section members are indicated by .

Thursday, May 9th is National Children's Mental Health Day!

This year, the campaign is focused on older adolescents and young adults. See the tip sheet for teens and parents of teens who are completing high school and transitioning to the next phase of their lives

View the tip sheet here.

For SOAH Members Only:

Nominations for 2013 SOAH Awards
Deadline April 30, 2013
Access the SOAH 2013 Awards Nomination Form here
For more information on the awards visit the Awards section

Affordable Care Act Benefits for Adolescents and Young Adults soah lock

Spring 2013 Newsletter Now Available! soah lock

Recently Released

AAP Policy Statement: Emergency Contraception

AAP Clinical Report: Collaborative Role of the Pediatrician in the Diagnosis and Management of Bipolar Disorders in Adolescents

New Guidance on Substance Use Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment

"Substance Use Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment", policy statement authored by the AAP Committee on Substance Abuse


Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner's Guide

This AAP endorsed guide may be downloaded from the NIAAA Web site by clicking the above link.


Paving the Way to Adult Health Care - The New Clinical Report on Health Care Transition

"Supporting the Health Care Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood in the Medical Home", jointly authored by the AAP, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Physicians, was published in the July issue of Pediatrics. 

The National Health Care Transition Center's new and improved Web site - www.gottransition.org - is up and welcoming visitors!

Creating Healthy Opportunities: Conversations with Adolescent Health Experts

The AAP Adolescent Health Partnership Project, in conjunction with the other PIPPAH* grantees, released this series of print and podcast interviews, Creating Healthy Opportunities: Conversations with Adolescent Health Experts, along with relevant resources, which highlights the experience and insights of five experts and their recommendations on how to support the healthy development of our nation's adolescents.

Read or listen to the interviews featuring: Angela Diaz, MD, MPH, FAAP; Shay Bilchik, JD; Richard Kreipe, MD, FAAP; Jane Brown, PhD; and Abigail English, JD.

(*The Partners in Program Planning for Adolescent Health (PIPPAH) initiative is supported by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration.)

School Group photo State Minor Consent Laws: Summary
(3rd ed) Now Available!

The Center for Adolescent Health and the Law released this 3rd edition, which contains detailed information about the health care minor consent laws in all 50 states. These laws play a key role in adolescents' access to a broad range of health care services. This monograph is an essential reference for health care professionals working to increase access to health care for their adolescent patients.

Mental Health
The National Institute of Mental Health released a brochure on the teen brain. Entitled “The Teen Brain: Still under Construction”. This brochure describes changes in the brain that occur during teen years, and the significance of this stage of development


For All AAP Members:

Adolescent Health Update
Past issues of AHU


Dr Jenkins "I am so pleased with the Web pages for adolescent health. It is a well-organized site with a thorough selection of key resources and activities to help primary care practitioners, adolescent specialists, and other health care professionals caring for adolescents, improve the care provided to youth. I look forward to checking back regularly for new content!"


Renée R. Jenkins, MD, FAAP
AAP Past President
(and Adolescent Medicine specialist)