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People who provide health care
Caring for your health is an important part of growing up. If you notice changes that you are not sure are normal, ask your parents or a trusted adult to help you make an appointment with a doctor or other health care provider. Health care providers you can see include:
- A pediatrician. This is a doctor who cares for children and teens. Some pediatricians have special training in reproductive health issues like problems with periods, but not all do.
- A family practitioner. This is a doctor who does not focus on a specific medical specialty but works on various medical areas in patients of all ages.
- A gynecologist. A gynecologist is a doctor who focuses on women’s reproductive health. Some gynecologists specialize in taking care of teenagers.
- An adolescent specialist. This type of doctor specializes in caring for teenagers. Most adolescent medicine doctors take care of reproductive health in addition to general health.
- A nurse practitioner (NP). A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse with special training. If your clinic or doctor’s office has an NP, he or she can do many of the things a doctor can do and will work with the doctor if you need special tests or medicines.
- A certified nurse midwife. This is a nurse who is trained to care for the general and gynecological health of women and their babies.
Content last reviewed April 15, 2014
Page last updated May 30, 2014
