Teen Health Summary As a teenager, you go through many changes. Your body is on its way to becoming its adult size. You may notice that you can’t fit into your old shoes or that your jeans are now 3 inches too short. Along with these changes, you are probably becoming more independent and making more of your own choices. Some of the biggest choices you face are about your health. Healthy habits, including eating a healthy diet and being physically active, can help you feel good, look good, and do your best in school, work, or sports. They might also prevent diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke, and some cancers when you are older. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Start Here Ages and Stages: Teen American Academy of Pediatrics Help! Is This My Body? Nemours Foundation Medical Care and Your 13- to 18-Year-Old Nemours Foundation TeensHealth Nemours Foundation TeensHealth: Q&A Nemours Foundation Related Issues Annual Check-up Children’s Hospital Boston Are Steroids Worth the Risk? Nemours Foundation Body Image and Self-Esteem Nemours Foundation Choosing a Primary Health Care Provider (PCP): A Guide for Young Men Children’s Hospital Boston Choosing a Primary Health Care Provider (PCP): A Guide for Young Women Children’s Hospital Boston Compulsive Exercise Nemours Foundation Dealing with a Health Condition Nemours Foundation Guy’s Guide to Body Image Nemours Foundation Gyn Checkups Nemours Foundation Hygiene Basics Nemours Foundation Should I Gain Weight? Nemours Foundation Teens and Stress: Who Has Time for It? American Academy of Family Physicians Testicular Exams Nemours Foundation Transitions: A Guide to Teens Getting Older and Changing Health Care Providers Children’s Hospital Boston What’s the Right Weight for My Height? Nemours Foundation Your Feelings Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Your First Gynecologic Visit American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Your First Pelvic Exam: A Guide for Teens Children’s Hospital Boston Prevention and Risk Factors Are You 11-19 Years Old? Then You Need to Be Vaccinated against These Serious Diseases! Immunization Action Coalition Why Should I Care about Germs? Nemours Foundation Health Check Tools Body Mass Index: Calculator for Child and Teen Centers for Disease Control and Prevention How’s Your Self-Esteem? (Quiz) Nemours Foundation Specifics Charge Up! Healthy Meals and Snacks for Teens National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Female Athlete Triad Nemours Foundation For Strong Bones…For Lifelong Health…Milk Matters! National Institute of Child Health and Human Development How Much Sleep Do I Need? Nemours Foundation MedlinePlus: Smoking and Youth National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus: Teen Sexual Health National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus: Underage Drinking National Library of Medicine Nutrition Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Shaving Children’s Hospital Boston Take Charge of Your Health: A Guide for Teenagers National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Tanning Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Tanning Nemours Foundation Types of Cancer Teens Get Nemours Foundation Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Adolescent National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Adolescent Health Services National Institutes of Health Treatments and Therapies Complementary and Alternative Medicine Nemours Foundation Talking to Your Doctor Nemours Foundation Time to Talk: 5 Tips on Safety of Mind and Body Practices for Children and Teens National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Understanding Medications and What They Do Nemours Foundation Statistics and Research FastStats: Adolescent Health National Center for Health Statistics Mortality Among Teenagers Aged 12-19 Years: United States, 1999-2006 National Center for Health Statistics Nutrition and the Health of Young People Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Find an Expert Find a Pediatrician or Pediatric Specialist American Academy of Pediatrics KidsHealth Nemours Foundation National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Journal Articles Teen Health Array Teenagers and sleep Latest News Teenage Girls Now Try Alcohol Before Boys Do HealthDay Talking, Texting Teen Drivers Take Deadly Toll HealthDay Managing Allergies, Asthma 101 HealthDay Birth Control Pills Linked to Fewer Severe Knee Injuries in Teen Girls HealthDay Teens Who Eat Lots of Fruit May Lower Their Breast Cancer Risk HealthDay Middle Schoolers Exposed to Alcohol Ads Every Day HealthDay Driving Curfews May Curb Teen Crime HealthDay Obesity in Teens Seems to Raise Risk for Illness, Death in Middle Age HealthDay Booze-Branded Merchandise May Spur Teen Drinking HealthDay The Teen Brain Likes Social Media ‘Likes’ HealthDay Sleepy Teens Are Risk-Taking Teens HealthDay Injuries More Common in Teens Who Focus on Single Sport HealthDay E-Cigarettes ‘In’ At Some Schools HealthDay