Why Physicals Are Especially Important for Teens and Young Men
October 20, 2024
Preventative care is an often overlooked but an important part of young men’s health. Seeing your doctor once a year for an annual physical can seem like a burden when you’re a healthy teenage boy, but it’s a great opportunity to check in, make sure all is well, and clear you for the upcoming school year, sports season, work, or camp. Yet, unless prompted by their parents, teenage boys and young men are notorious for skipping this visit. Preventative care is an often overlooked but an important part of young men’s health. Seeing your doctor once a year for an annual physical can seem like a burden when you’re a healthy teenage boy, but it’s a great opportunity to check in, make sure all is well, and clear you for the upcoming school year, sports season, work, or camp. Yet, unless prompted by their parents, teenage boys and young men are notorious for skipping this visit.
Besides performing a physical exam, keeping you up to date with your immunizations, and filling out any forms, the physical is your doctor’s chance to screen for any risk factors to your health. Studies show that the adolescent and young adult years of a young man’s life tend to coincide with a multitude of risky behaviors such as experimentation with alcohol, drugs, sex, supplements, reckless driving, and more. During this stage of development, young people tend to be more impulsive which can have negative consequences for the rest of one’s life. If not screened for and discussed, this “can cause routine health issues to worsen and become larger concerns,” says Kyle Bardet, MD, a doctor in Penn Medicine’s Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine Department. “That could lead to the need for more significant healthcare down the line.”
What to Expect During Your Annual Exam
Despite the name of it, your annual exam is more about talking than examining. This once a year visit is meant to make sure you have healthy behaviors and stay well into the future. You should schedule it when you feel well so you have the time to cover all the different areas of your health, not just one or two ailments you have that day.
During the visit, you’ll talk about a number of things with your doctor. Remember, this information is confidential and it’s best to be honest! Your doctor will ask you about what’s new in your life, how your general health has been, and then dive into more specific questions.
You can expect to discuss your mental health, diet, exercise, any medications or supplements you are taking, and about things that may increase your risk for disease later in life. This is why your doctor asks about things like alcohol, tobacco, vaping, marijuana, and drugs. If you are using any of these substances, your doctor will talk with you about the risks and help create a plan to get you off of them.
Besides performing a physical exam, keeping you up to date with your immunizations, and filling out any forms, the physical is your doctor’s chance to screen for any risk factors to your health. Studies show that the adolescent and young adult years of a young man’s life tend to coincide with a multitude of risky behaviors such as experimentation with alcohol, drugs, sex, supplements, reckless driving, and more. During this stage of development, young people tend to be more impulsive which can have negative consequences for the rest of one’s life. If not screened for and discussed, this “can cause routine health issues to worsen and become larger concerns,” says Kyle Bardet, MD, a doctor in Penn Medicine’s Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine Department. “That could lead to the need for more significant healthcare down the line.”
What to Expect During Your Annual Exam
Despite the name of it, your annual exam is more about talking than examining. This once a year visit is meant to make sure you have healthy behaviors and stay well into the future. You should schedule it when you feel well so you have the time to cover all the different areas of your health, not just one or two ailments you have that day.
During the visit, you’ll talk about a number of things with your doctor. Remember, this information is confidential and it’s best to be honest! Your doctor will ask you about what’s new in your life, how your general health has been, and then dive into more specific questions.
You can expect to discuss your mental health, diet, exercise, any medications or supplements you are taking, and about things that may increase your risk for disease later in life. This is why your doctor asks about things like alcohol, tobacco, vaping, marijuana, and drugs. If you are using any of these substances, your doctor will talk with you about the risks and help create a plan to get you off of them.
