THE LABORATORYS ROLE IN SERVING ADOLESCENT PATIENTS

Although adolescence is generally considered to be a time of good heal th, health problems do occur during these years. Laboratory profession als need to be aware of these problems so that adolescent patients can be treated properly The major issues for today's adolescents are preg nancy, sexually transmitted diseases, drugs of abuse, eating disorders , infections accidents, and suicides. We describe the prevalence of ma ny of these conditions and discuss the laboratory tests that are used to diagnose or monitor these problems. The aim of this article is to h eighten the awareness of laboratorians and clinicians to the challenge s of adolescent medicine.