Talk With Your Doctor or Nurse
For many teens, it’s hard to talk about weight, sex, and birth control with a doctor or nurse. But, doctors and nurses get these kinds of questions every day. Your doctor or nurse will not talk to anyone else about what you discuss with them, unless they feel you might be in an unsafe situation or in danger. You can also talk to a pharmacist about weight, sex, and birth control. They can give you the information you need. Here are some things you can say and do:
If you feel like this
Remember:
“It’s embarrassing and some of my questions are hard to ask.”
- Doctors and nurses are trained to answer these questions
- You don’t need your parent’s permission to ask your doctor or nurse about weight loss or sex
- Ask your doctor or nurse if there are things they would have to tell your parent or another adult
- Talk with the person who makes you feel the most comfortable
“I don’t want to talk about sex with a doctor or nurse that I’ve had since I was a little kid.”
- You can talk with someone else, like a different doctor or nurse
- You can talk to the doctor or nurse without your parent being there. Explain to your parent that you need to talk about personal things with the doctor or nurse
“I don’t even know where to start. These are hard questions.”
-
It’s a good idea to practice beforehand. And, it can help to write down your questions. You could hand your doctor or nurse a note. Here are some ideas to get started:
- “Doctor (or nurse), I have some questions that are pretty hard to ask.”
- “If I ask you some questions, can it just be between us?”