Youth-friendly health services for adolescents and young people
- Safe practice
Friendly services make it easy for adolescents and young people to seek care: confidential, respectful, at times they can come and without judgement.
What it is
Youth-friendly health services adapt the way care is given to the needs of adolescents and young people. Colombia's model of Servicios de Salud Amigables para Adolescentes y Jóvenes (SSAAJ), developed by the Ministry with UNFPA, covers people aged 10 to 29 with an emphasis on sexual and reproductive health, and can take three forms: a differentiated consultation, a friendly unit or a friendly centre. WHO's global standards for adolescent health services, updated in 2025 with nine standards, stress adolescent participation, a rights-based and non-discriminatory approach, competent staff, family and community engagement, welcoming settings and data for quality improvement.
What it requires
- Staff trained and sensitised to care for adolescents and young people.
- Confidentiality and a private, non-judgemental setting.
- Short waits and opening hours that fit school and work.
- Services without discrimination of any kind.
- Participation of adolescents and young people in planning and oversight of the service.
Components
- Differentiated consultation: a trained professional within the daily consultation schedule, with a referral network.
- Friendly unit: spaces for adolescents and young people inside a health facility, with differentiated hours and signage.
- Friendly centre: an independent space only for adolescents and young people, with services and group, cultural and sports activities.
How it is applied (and why)
- Welcome the adolescent by name and explain how confidentiality works and its limits — trust is the entry ticket.
- If a parent comes, explain that part of the visit will be alone with the adolescent — this recognises autonomy.
- Use a private room and a calm, non-judgemental tone — adolescents talk when they do not feel judged.
- Ask about home, school, activities, substance use, sexuality, mood and safety with open questions — finds the real reasons for the visit.
- Give clear information on sexual and reproductive health, mental health and the services available — supports informed decisions.
- Agree on a care plan with the adolescent and, when appropriate, with the family — shared plans are more likely to be followed.
- Offer flexible appointments, outreach or group activities — reduces barriers for those who study or work.
- Record and follow up, respecting confidentiality, and refer when needed — continuity within a network of services.
In nursing practice
- Many visits concern everyday life and sexual and reproductive health, not illness.
- Signs of violence, abuse or suicidal ideas override confidentiality: protect the adolescent and activate the institutional route.
- Groups of young people can help design and oversee the service (youth social oversight).
- Friendly services link with the adolescent and youth consultations of the health promotion and maintenance route.
Common mistakes
- Talking only to the parent and not to the adolescent.
- Lecturing or moralising instead of listening.
- Breaking confidentiality without a protection reason.
- Opening hours that clash with school, so adolescents never come.
- Using posters and leaflets without asking young people what they need.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
What age range does Colombia's youth-friendly services model (SSAAJ) cover?
People aged 10 to 29 years.
What are the three forms of a youth-friendly health service in Colombia?
A differentiated consultation, a friendly unit and a friendly centre.
Why is part of the adolescent consultation held without the parent?
To recognise the adolescent's autonomy and allow them to talk freely in a private, non-judgemental setting.
How many standards do WHO's updated global standards for adolescent health services (2025) include?
Nine standards.
Elsewhere in DurgiPedia
Connections
Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order.
Sources: Servicios de salud amigables para adolescentes y jóvenes: un modelo para adecuar las respuestas de los servicios de salud (2.ª ed.) (Ministerio de la Protección Social de Colombia y UNFPA (MinSalud), 2008); Global standards for quality health care services for adolescents (World Health Organization, 2025); Resolución 3280 de 2018: atención en salud por medicina general o familiar y enfermería para la adolescencia (Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social, Colombia, 2018).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.