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Infections with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are increasing among adolescents and adults born after 1965. Screening strategies may need to be adapted for this changing population. We surveyed trainees in different specialties about attitudes and practices related to HCV screening and identified specific barriers to screening across various healthcare settings. Constraints related to health system resources and the provider's role were among the most common barriers cited across specialties, but paediatrics residents also cited barriers specific to their population, which can likely be addressed with targeted education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Schools have long been recognized as an excellent place to offer health education and supportive services. Teachers are among the most important influences in the lives of school-aged children and can provide valuable insight into the health issues important to adolescents. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential role general academic teachers may play in facilitating adolescent health promotion efforts. Methods: To determine what teachers think about the role of health promotion in schools and what tools and topics they would find most helpful as critical advisers to students, we administered a 28-question survey at staff development meetings in 4 New York City schools. Results: Teachers agreed that schools were an important venue for discussing and providing health messages. More than half of those surveyed reported having overheard student discussions about health once a week or more, and 70% stated that they had been actively approached by students 1-3 or more times per semester with reports of personal problems or health issues. Teachers expressed concern about their ability to handle student mental, behavioral, and reproductive health problems and desired additional staff development workshops to address these needs. Conclusions: Teachers felt that schools were important places to promote dialogue about health and accept the importance of playing a broader role in the lives of youth beyond education. To enhance the prospect of health-promoting interactions between teachers and students, attention must be paid to developing the overall skill and comfort level of teachers with respect to adolescent health concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the prevention of sexual risk behaviors and pregnancy among teenagers. Antecedents of risky sexual behaviors and pregnancy; Implications for program and policy development; Issues that hinder success in reducing adolescents' sexual risk-taking; Research questions raised by these service-related issues.

The article presents a letter to the editor which discusses the health promotion and disease management of adults living in the Harlem section of New York City.

Highlights the success of a school-based health clinic (SBHC) training project included in the medical student and resident pediatric training program at Columbia University and New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City during the school year 2002-2003. Increase in the number of children receiving health care through school-based health clinics between 1990 and 2000; Objectives of the SBHC training project; Benefits of SBHC training over traditional hospital-centered rotations.