Volume 71 Number 3 May 2004	back to contents

From the Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York NY.

Address all correspondence to Angela Diaz, M.D., Director, Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, 320 East 94th Street, New York, NY 10128; email: angela.diaz@msnyuhealth.org.

Accepted for publication February 2004.

ABSTRACT
The health of adolescent females can be compromised by new social morbidities resulting from high-risk behaviors. The presence of various risk factors will increase the chances of their becoming involved in these behaviors and decrease their ability to reach the milestones of this developmental age. Protective factors will moderate these risks. Physicians and other health care providers can help foster resilience in the face of adversity by developing a better understanding of these factors and using a multidisciplinary approach to care.

KEY WORDS
Adolescent females, adolescents, risk factors, protective factors, resilience.

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