| Prepare the office and office staff |
Demonstrate respect for the diversity and differences inherent in AYA through: - Staff who are interested in seeing AYA and skilled in providing AYA care
- Clinic materials (brochures, pamphlets, other information), administrative intake, bathrooms, and nursing triage that are inclusive of the spectrum of gender and sexual diversity
- Clinical providers using open, nonjudgmental terminology and questions
- Asking about and using the youth's identified name and pronouns
- Introducing themselves with pronouns and/or wearing pronoun badges
- Using terms that are not pejorative
- Including trauma-informed references
- Clinicians who incorporate the time and attention necessary for sensitive and responsive screening and counseling
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| Remove barriers (eg, hours of operation, transportation, out-of-pocket costs) |
| Ask permission and discuss privacy and confidentiality |
| How to discuss sexuality |
| Normalize sexuality – it is an important component of childhood, adolescent, and young adult development |
| Use developmentally appropriate terminology and focus; avoid medical jargon and pejorative terms |
| Avoid assumptions |
Do not assume that: - All patients are heterosexual
- AYA who self-identify as heterosexual do not also have same-gender sexual partners
- A self-identified lesbian or transmasculine person does not require birth control
- Psychosocially or medically complex AYA are not involved in romantic or sexual relationships
- Sexual activity equals receptive penis in vagina sex or that young persons do not explore alternative sexual activities (eg, kink, bondage)
- Female AYAs do not engage in anal sex
- Patients have all the understanding and information they need about safer sexual practices
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