How Can We Care for Everyone?

Abstract

When I first met Charlotte, she was a 15-year-old African American boy named John.

I was a white physician working at a community health center in one of the poorest zip codes in Cleveland. John and her mother came in for a well-child exam to get vaccines and complete forms for school. As with all my teenage patients, I talked briefly with John alone to screen for high-risk health behaviors. John disclosed that she had unprotected sex with males, so I gave her condoms and encouraged safe sex. I also told her about confidential minor visits, where she had the option to see me without a parent to address her sexual health issues. After that, John usually came to see me without her mom.