Young People & Health
We hope that this page will help you to find useful information about health issues which affect young people.
Remember, if you are worried about your health talking about your feelings and worries with others can help, so it’s best to talk to a parent or another responsible adult who knows their stuff if you can.
Sometimes it’s difficult to talk to people you know. There are help-lines that you can telephone for advice and support – we have given a couple of numbers below.
If you are a patient at Manor Practice you can make an appointment in your own right, and see a nurse or doctor on your own.
Confidentiality
The doctors and nurses at the surgery are here to listen to you without telling anyone about the issues you raise.
Every appointment with the staff here is confidential, which means secret.
This applies even if you are aged under 16 although the Doctor or Nurse seeing you will need to be satisfied that you are competent (Gillick competence) and able to consent to your own medical treatment, without the need for parental permission or knowledge.
We will not tell anyone else unless we are concerned for your safety or the safety of others. This is very unusual and we’ll always discuss this with you first.
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is the fastest growing sexually transmitted infection in the UK – as many as one in twelve sexually active young people aged 15 – 24 are thought to already carry the infection. It is a bacterial infection that is easily passed on through having unprotected sexual contact with someone who already has the infection.
You can get chlamydia through having unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who already has the infection.
You don’t have to have full sex to get chlamydia.
If left untreated chlamydia can cause serious health problems, including infertility, in both men and women.
The good news is that a simple, readily available test can tell whether you have the infection, and treatment is simple and effective.
Testing kits are available at the surgery.
For more information about chlamydia and how you can get a test-kit: Click Here.
More Information for Young People
Diabetes | Diabetes UK is an organisation that supports people with diabetes. They have a really good section on their web-site for young people: | Click Here |
Smoking | Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health. If you are a smoker and want to give up, or you want to learn more to help a friend or relative to quit smoking try: | Click Here |
Mental Health | Sometimes it can be difficult to do normal day-to-day things, or relationships seem to go wrong all the time. “Young Minds” have a section on their website that gives more information about mental health issues for young people. | Click Here |
Weight & Eating | This can be a tricky subject! We worry about how being very overweight can be bad for young people’s health, and we worry about young people losing too much weight! This site looks at the views of lots of young people and has links to information on a range of weight-related issues such as body-image and health problems. | Click Here |
Young People with Disabilities | Core Assets Children’s Services deliver a range of integrated services for families, disabled children and those struggling with education or in need of therapeutic support that achieves positive outcomes. | Click Here |
Young People With Multiple Sclerosis | The Multiple Sclerosis Society web site has pages for young adults with MS. You will find links to information and community pages and a text alert service. | Click Here |
Young People and Cancer | The Teenage Cancer Trust’s web-site has lots of information, forums and support for young people diagnosed with cancer and their families. | Click Here |
Drugs & Alcohol | If you want more information about drugs and alcohol, or you need help or advice, the “Frank” website is really good. | Click Here |
Sexual Health | For accurate factual information about sex and sexual health, and links to other web sites try: | Click Here |
The HPV Vaccine | The HPV vaccine is a series of 3 injections designed to help protect young women against some forms of cervical cancer when they get older. This link will give you more information, and contains a video in which a group of teenage girls and a GP explain how the HPV vaccine can reduce the risk of cervical cancer. | Click Here |
Young Carers and Young Adult Carers | Young carers and young adult carers care for, or help to care for, someone who has a long-term illness or disability. This might be a parent or grandparent, a brother or sister, or another family member. Sometimes the people the young person cares for has a physical illness or disability, but sometimes they have mental health problems or have problems with drugs or alcohol. There are lots and lots of young carers and young adult carers out there, but many young people don’t realise that there are others in the same position. Providing care for someone you love can be hard, but there is help out there! | Click Here |
General Health | Although it’s not just aimed at young people, this site has lots of information about health services. | Click Here |
Advice And Support | As well as its freephone helpline (see below) Childline’s web-site is packed with information and advice: | Click Here |
Youth Health Talk | Youth Health Talk is an interactive website for young people. It provides information about many conditions, and stories from young people about their experiences of diagnosis and treatment. There are also forums where you can share stories and ask questions, and many other resources. | Click Here for Youth Health Talk |
Helplines
Drinkline | To speak to somebody about drinkavailable Monday to Friday, 11-11. Freephone http://www.patient.co.uk/support/Drinkline.htm | 0800 917 8282 |
National Drugs Helpline | (open 24 hours) Freephone http://www.urban75.com/Drugs/helpline.html | 0800 77 66 00 |
Childline | Freephone http://www.childline.org.uk | 0800 1111 |
Other Links
Please be aware Manor Practice is not responsible for the content of these websites.
Counselling Directory | http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/ |
Is there a web-site or helpline that you think other young people would find helpful?
What else would you like to see on this part of our web-site?
Have you tried one of our links and found that it doesn’t work?
We will be happy to hear from you!