As young people become adults, age appropriate health care can reduce risky behaviors, create sound health care practices, and prevent unintended pregnancies. Therefore, public and private health care providers have a special obligation to reach out to adolescents to provide health care education and preventive services.

While quality health care can help adolescents lead healthier lives and postpone pregnancy, adolescents in general use health care services less than any other age group. To help teens get the health care they need, DC Campaign consulted extensively with teens, parents, experienced adolescent health care physicians in the District, the D. C. Department of Health, and Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) to identify solutions to help adolescents become good health care consumers.