ABSTRACT
Adolescence is the term employed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to refer to young people between the ages of 10 and 19 years. This is perceived as a vulnerable time, packed with challenges and decisions to make. The majority of teenagers consider themselves in excellent health, psychologically well-balanced and educationally well-informed. It is important to take this into consideration when discussing issues of consent. Many of the ‘Health of the Nation’ targets specifically focus on areas of health needs in this age group, including reducing smoking; reducing death rates from accidents; reducing the overall suicide rate and reducing pregnancy rates.
