Talking to health professionals
Even if you have an open and honest relationship with your parents, you can be uncomfortable talking about certain things with them.
Many young people want to have someone they can talk to privately about difficult or embarrassing things. This can feel impossible if your parents are always at doctors appointments with you. If you feel you would like to talk to your doctor alone, then it's perfectly ok to ask the doctor and tell your parents there are things you wish to discuss with the doctor on your own.
Talking to your doctors and nurses can really help
Having an open, trusting relationship with your doctors and nurses (health care professionals) is really important.
It’s normal to feel nervous or anxious when you talk about certain things with health care professionals. Most of them will understand that young people can feel uncomfortable or embarrassed talking about some things. Remember that they’ll probably have talked about the same kind of stuff with lots of other young people before.
Knowing that you can trust the doctor or nurse you speak to can help you feel more comfortable discussing things with them. There may be a youth support group at the hospital. Ask your nurse or social worker what's available in your area.
