Teens and Young Adults

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Additional Resources

From the onset of puberty, to the time teen boys enter adulthood in their early 20s, they undergo major physical and emotional changes. These changes have important implications for health. As teen boys become increasingly independent, they face choices in areas such as driving habits, substance use, sexuality, physical activity, food choices, and use of health care services. These choices are shaped by individual, family, and social environmental factors.

Consider these health concerns, some which can have lasting impact into adulthood:

Most adolescent and young adult deaths could have been prevented. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for males aged 10-24, and suicide is the third.
Alcohol and drug use rates are very high among young adult men. Teens and young adults are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors, such as unprotected sex, when under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Young adult African American men are still overwhelmingly affected by violence.
The younger people begin smoking, the more likely they are to become strongly addicted to nicotine.
The number of overweight adolescents aged 12 to 19 has more than tripled in the past 20 years. Overweight children and adolescents are at risk for health problems, including diabetes, during their youth and as adults.
Each year, about 19 million new sexually transmitted infections are reported, and almost half of them are among youth aged 15 to 24.
A sizable portion of young adult men face mental health problems, but often these problems go unrecognized. The most common disorders among teens and young adults include depression, anxiety disorders and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder and substance use disorder.

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Additional Resources

Publications

Healthy Youth!: Sexual Risk Behaviors - This fact sheet provides statistics on young adults, their sexual behaviors, occurrences of STDs and numbers of those infected with HIV. There are also resources for state and local programs listed on the website for further information on priority health risks among youth.
http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/sexualbehaviors/index.htm
Take Charge of Your Health: A Teenager's Guide to Better Health - This booklet explains the importance of better health for teenagers. It contains information on how to stay active and eat healthy.
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/take_charge.htm
Tips for Teens with Diabetes: What is Diabetes? - Read this booklet to learn about diabetes and how to manage it.
http://ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/pubs/Youth_Tips_Diabetes.pdf
About Overweight and Obesity (Copyright © Nemours Foundation) - In this fact sheet, you'll find information on some common health concerns that go with being overweight. You'll also find tips on what teens can do to manage weight in a healthy way.
http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/obesity/obesity_overweight.html...
Common Health Problems in College Students (Copyright © AAP) - This fact sheet discusses some common illnesses and infections that spread on college campuses. It provides information on how to avoid them and if you get sick how to take care of yourself.
http://www.aap.org/pubed/ZZZG2JNPQ7C.htm?&sub_cat=107
Health Guides by Topic (Copyright © Young Men's Health) - This web page contains a list of health guides for young men about their health. Whether you are looking for information about working out, dating, puberty, or feeling sad, you will find information here.
http://www.youngmenshealthsite.org/by_topic.html
Male Reproductive System (Copyright © Nemours Foundation) - This publication provides an overview of the male reproductive system. A brief description of the function of the organs is provided as well as information on disorders of the male reproductive system.
http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/changing_body/male_repro.html
Testicular Injuries (Copyright © Nemours Foundation) - This publication provides information about testicular injuries, how they happen and how to prevent them.
http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/guys/testicular_injuries.html
Tinea Infections: Athlete's Foot, Jock Itch and Ringworm (Copyright © AAFP) - This fact sheet explains about the tinea fungus, how it becomes infectious, how to get rid of it and how to prevent the infections from occurring.
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/infections/common/fungal/316.html...

Organizations

= Indicates Federal Resources

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