The inaugural PATCH for Providers Symposium brought teens and health care professionals from across the state of Wisconsin together to explore, in depth, the sensitive health topics affecting teens today and best practices in providing care for adolescent patients.
At the event, Dr. James Conway, MD, FAAP, (a professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wisconsin) presented on what human papillomavirus (HPV) is, how it is transmitted, the likelihood of infection, and the cancers it can cause.
Aubrey Stetter-Hesselberg, from Scenic Rivers AHEC, spoke about the initial HPV vaccine marketing and the impact it had on the likelihood of vaccination, how and why marketing needs to vary among every target audience, and considerations providers must have when discussing the HPV vaccination with patients.
Maya Rodriguez (PATCH Youth Co-Presenter) discussed how messaging/communication between provider and teen is crucial for learning how to advocate for one's health, successful strategies for talking with teens, and the mixed messages/conflicting information teens are bombarded by.
Provider and Teens Communicating for Health (PATCH) and the Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health hosted the event.