THE VERY YOUNG (INTRODUCTION)

April 7th, 2009

Very young girls provoke strong reactions in doctors and others, especially if they emphasize their youth by coming to the clinic or surgery in school uniform. They may come on their own, in which case they are usually showing a degree of maturity in taking their own decisions. Often they are brought by someone else, and then the doctor has to try to assess the real needs and wishes of the girl herself.

A 13-year-old girl came to the clinic with her mother. Mother did all the talking, saying that her daughter was in a relationship with a 22-year-old man who had two young children. Mother thought her daughter should go on the Pill as she foresaw intercourse occurring. The doctor felt pity, anger and anxiety as she noticed that the girl was small and thin, her face pinched and hard-looking, trying to look older than her age. The doctor managed to see the girl alone and said, ‘I wonder what you expect from this visit?’ The girl replied, ‘I expect I’ll get stuck on the Pill’. This made it easier for the doctor to say what was uppermost in her mind, that the girl had choice. Slowly, as the consultation continued and with the doctor trying to respect the girl’s feelings and treat her as a responsible person in her own right, the girl changed, her face softened and she allowed herself to look her age. She said that she did not wish to decide anything that day, and certainly did not want to take any pills.