Gathering Information and Exploring Sensitive Issues

Young people sometimes have health problems that they perceive as embarrassing or sensitive. This session describes some steps that health professionals can take to encourage young people to share information about such problems.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Identify levels of risk in consultations with young people
• Identify issues that young people may consider to be sensitive or embarrassing
• Consider how to encourage a young person to discuss ‘hidden agendas’ and ‘passport symptoms’
• Practice approaches that develop trust and empathy in consultations
• Evaluate approaches to discussing issues about sexual health, psychological health, and health behaviours with young people

One of the main purposes of any health consultation is to find out about the young person’s problem or the reason that they have come to see you. The extent to which you are able to do this depends on both the nature of the problem itself and the relationship that you develop with the young person.

Young people may be reluctant to disclose sensitive or embarrassing problems. There is often also a difference between what young people perceive as sensitive or embarrassing issues, and what health professionals consider these to be. Young people may present such problems indirectly rather than explicitly, and health professionals need to be aware of the clues to this. It is also helpful to have a framework for enquiring directly about such problems in order to aid disclosure.