Doctors for Teens
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May 2008
I just found out that my 17 yo daughter has had sex
for the first time. I wasn't too happy about who and
how it happened. I found out mainly because she came
down with a UTI which was a blessing. I am not at all
sure she used proper safety even though she claimed
she did. She is going off to college in Aug and I want
to be sure she has a through GYN exam before she
leaves and gets education about safe sex and birth
control from a professional. Any recommendations of
good Obs who have worked with your teen daughters?
AD
I would recommend she get the pelvic exam by someone she knows and
trusts. How about her regular doctor? IF that person is a man, then I would
suggest finding a woman to do it. Maybe the nurse practitioner in the office
or another female doctor in the practice? Also, you might ask her to consider
getting those HPV (prevention of certain cervical cancers) injections starting
now before she goes off to college. It takes several months for the whole
course (3).
That said, I liked my old GYN before she moved her practice and had a
REALLY BAD billing experience at her new office. Dr. Angeline Thomas, she's
really thorough and gentle. (510) 845-4200.
Good luck!
anon mom
I recommend Dr. John Girard,
who works in a group with
offices in Berkeley and Orinda. I have a young daughter
who was quite sensitive about going to see a GYN
specialist, but who was absolutely delighted with Dr.
Girard. He has a good sense of humor and immediately put
her at ease.
My wife was so happy with him that she switched from her
own GYN and now sees Dr. Girard.
Robert
I think my ObGyn would be really great for a teen girl -
Dr. Arzou Ahsan in Berkeley. There are a lot of reviews for
her and the others in her practice on the BPN website -
click here.
I think all the ObGyns in that practice are women, if that
makes a difference for your daughter.
March 2007
My daughter just turned 18, and was randomly assigned a male primary
care physician in adult medicine, which she is not comfortable with. I
checked the Kaiser Oakland website; the following 7 female internal
medicine/family practice doctors are currently taking new patients, and
we would appreciate your sharing any of your experiences with them,
positive or negative: Leticia Aguilera-Ledesma, Teri Lynn Alyami, Nora
Zehra Emon, Priscilla R.M. Flores, Deborah Ann Greer, Janet Amy Lai,
Michelle Shute.
Thanks much!
I'm a pediatrician at Kaiser Oakland. There's a clinic that developed in the past few years
called the ''Young Adult Clinic''. It's specifically aimed for young adults, age 18-25,
going through all the independence/college/work/sexuality etc issues that young adults deal
with. It's part of the Dept. of Internal Medicine, but the doctors are very interested in
that age group. Once your daughter turns 26 and older, she could continue to stay with that
doctor for as long as she has Kaiser. There are a lot of great women docs there. One way
to find one she might like is to go to kp.org and look who's got an open panel; you could
then look at their on-line biography and see if she might be interested. You can get an
appt in that department on-line, or just calling the Internal Medicine department and asking
for a female doc in the Young Adult Clinic.
Anon
March 2007
My son has just turned 16. I want to find a medical
doctor for him who can satisfy him, my husband, and me. My
son is skeptical of anything that he cannot prove or see
for himself. My husband wants a good medical doctor and is
OK with traditional Western medicine. I want someone who
is sensitive to prevention and the negative side effects
of drugs who can suggest alternative remedies---
homeopathics,Chinese herbs,acupuncture or whatever is
needed. My insurance company will only pay for a medical
doctor and I need that financial arrangement. Please let
me know if someone like this exists and is taking new
patients in the Berkeley/North Oakland area.
Anon
We love Janet Perlman, MD, at Bayside Pediatrics on Telegraph in
Oakland (510.452.5234). She's been our 13-year-old son's doctor since he was a
toddler. She seems very supportive about alternative approaches, and is
a good communicator in our experience.
Wendy, Oakland
Jan 2007
I'm looking for a HealthNet doctor that my gay teen son
would feel comfortable talking to. He has a great
pediatrician who helped him with other issue.. but now
it's time for an adult doctor. The HealthNet site is
impossible to get information from -- if you know of any
MDs please post. No therapists, counselors, groups etc.
Those are easy to find. This is my send post. Thanks!
Anonymous
I'm sorry that you haven't received any responses to your post. Have
you considered contacting LYRIC in SF (an organization that works with LGBT
teens) or Our Family Coalition (advocacy and support groups for LGBT
families)? They may have some leads. Although I am not in the same
situation, I am a queer mother with a 1.5 year old son using HealthNet,
and we both see Dr. Francine Yep at North Oakland Family Practice. My son
has also seen Dr. John Good - they are both compassionate, patient
listeners and sensitive to our needs. I love working with both of them.
anonymous
Call Roxanne Fiscella in Berkley. She is in Alta Bates
Medical Group and takes healthnet. Not sure if she is
taking new patients. Her office staff and NPs and PAs are
mostly women, but there are lots of male patients. Ms Ida
is the main office staff person.
Anon
[Editor] See also: Gay Friendly MDs
June 2006
I'm the parent of a 16 year old daughter and I've been
wondering whether it's time to switch her from her
pediatrician to a physician in my family practice group.
Any advice?
anonymous
I asked the doctor what she thought as our daughter turned
17. She said that she had one patient still coming there
after college; but she says through college or when the
''child/adult'' thought it was time
mother of 4
My husband is a pediatrician, thought not in private
practice, so his take on it isn't self-interested.
He would ask you to consider: does she like her doctor? Is
she comforable with the doctor's gender? Does this doctor
or practice seem to be interested in adolescent medicine?
Does she have any ongoing problems that would best be
managed by the doctor who has cared for her so far?
Adolescent medicine is an area that doctors can study, read
journals, on, etc., and most who do so are pediatrians.
Most, but not all, pediatricians are comfortable and
qualified to do pelvic exams and deal with sexual health
issues. If she likes her doctor and her doctor likes caring
for teens, then stay. Many kids stay with their
pediatricians until they leave for college.
What we did was change our son to a ''boy doctor'' in the
same practice when he was about 10. Our daughter stayed
with the woman doctor we had been using. Then, these two
veteran doctors both retired, and our kids were assigned to
young, somewhat hip doctors, each of their gender. It's
really been perfect; during the little kid stage, we had
someone very experienced to ask about things, then, when
what mattered more was the kids relationship with their
doctor, they got younger people who they felt more
comfortable talking with
not a doctor, but...
I'd wait 'til they're 18. They're still kids and pediatricians are
experienced with adolescents. A Pediatrician would be a better fit
for an adolescent than a physician who sees adults. Even 19 year
olds are still adolescents. Even though most kids see adult
physicians starting at 18, they're still dealing with hormones,
emotional ups/downs, acne, etc. Also, I think, personally, it's nice
for them to have that reassuring tie to their childhood doctor and
clinic (they're basically a big kid, not an adult) , and not thrust into
the adult clinic, where they might have worries or ill-at-ease
issues. And for you, as the parent, you'll feel more comfortable
talking to your child's longtime pediatrician about any dope-
smoking, weight-gaining/losing, issues with an expert in
adolescence than with a doctor that isn't so sensitive to the
pressures/problems of adolescents.
Mother of ''big kids''
Not sure what your concern is, exactly, about your 16 y.o.
and the pediatrician, but I'd say let your daughter make
the decision. I loved my pediatrician -- he knew me before
chicken pox, and was still the one I turned to for advice
and care when I was 18! Good pediatricians are well versed
in working with infants, teens, and everyone in between.
My 15 y.o. daughter's pediatrician at Kaiser Richmond is
wonderful. My daughter knows that she can call or e-mail
her doctor without me and I feel good knowing that she can
trust her doctor and has a safe, nonparental person she can
confide in if she needs to. So ask your daughter --if
she's happy with her pediatrician, don't change
Anon Mom
My daughter at around 14 said she was tired of the
environment at the pediatrician's office; lots of babies and
little children running around, and she also felt she was
being treated like a younger child by the pediatrician. So,
we switched to a family practitioner and all's been well. I
would ask your daughter how she feels about it. I think if
the relationship is good and the pediatrician is still
helpful, why change? But let her make the choice, it's her
body and her relationship
anon
Pediatricians that parents have recommended for teenagers
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Last updated: Sep 15, 2008
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