The Best Teen and Preteen Health Resources on the Web

I frequently link to two wonderful teen and preteen health web sites by the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF), so I thought I would formally introduce you to these sites, and tell you a little about them. The sites are "We're Talking: Teen Health," and "We're Talking, Too: Preteen Health." These are wonderful sites for parents to bookmark for their kids and encourage them to explore. The sites are medically accurate, contain no advertisements, and on the teen site, provide an opportunity for kids to ask anonymous questions that are answered by medical professionals. Both sites contain information about physical, emotional,and sexual health, written specifically for preteens and teens.

These sites were created, and are maintained, by the Adolescent Interest Group, a committee of doctors, health educators, therapists, and researchers, including yours truly (note the disclaimer), that has been meeting monthly at PAMF since approximately 1997. Each summer we are joined by a Stanford student and up to six local high school students who update the content, write new content, review movies as well as books, and go out to community groups to teach the content from the Bully Module and ABCs of Healthy Relationships, both projects created by teens with grants they received to support their community health work.

I encourage you to explore these sites and then look at them with your kids, as a conversation starter, or to let them know you encourage them finding out answers to health issues they might have questions about, but for whatever reason, not bring up with you. These sites are a little safer than other health sites because they were developed specifically for people under 22 years of age, and try to avoid introducing information to youth before they are ready. Explore away and have fun!

Please feel free to add other great resources below - as comments!

Photo Credit: Misterteacher

Labels: Teen Development

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