Adolescent sexuality, cultural sensitivity and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

摘要

In recent years it has been increasingly recognized that physicians must be sensitive to the cultural beliefs of their patients. This is especially important for physicians who deal with sexuality, especially when dealing with adolescents. Despite this, many mainstream text-books and journal articles ignore the teachings of the largest single religious denomination in the United States, the Roman Catholic Church. The Church has clear teachings regarding sex education, masturbation, contraception and abortion. Physicians should be aware of these teachings and be sensitive to the needs of Catholic adolescents when dealing with these issues.