Medical and social support to adolescents in the Russian Federation

Abstract

The Russian pediatric service reform of 1999 created new models of medical and social care for adolescents. The experience of developing youth-friendly health services (YFHSs) in the Russian Federation has proven that adolescents and young people need medical, social, and psychological services that address the issues specific to their age. There is a clear and confirmed demand for youth-friendly health services in the Russian Federation and they should be further developed. Effective functioning of youth-friendly health services requires the development of cross-sectorial cooperation, as a minimum involving health care, social service, and educational and youth affairs authorities. The efficiency of youth-friendly health clinics has been shown in relationship to significant decreases in the number of abortions, HIV, and STI cases. At present, YFHS is expanding the scope of their functions by including and widening the social component.