Press Releases & Statements

The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) expresses serious concern over the sudden replacement of all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). SAHM warns that this unprecedented move disrupts the committee’s scientific integrity, undermines public trust, and could worsen vaccine hesitancy—particularly affecting adolescents and young adults. The organization urges the administration to reinstate a transparent, science-based ACIP process led by experts in relevant fields to ensure continued confidence in immunization policies.

The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) expressed deep concern about a recent HHS report on pediatric gender dysphoria. SAHM criticizes the report for lacking scientific rigor, transparency, and clear authorship, and warns that its conclusions—though not intended as clinical guidance—could negatively impact policy, practice, and the well-being of gender-diverse youth. SAHM reaffirms its commitment to evidence-based, individualized, and compassionate care for transgender and gender-diverse adolescents, and advocates for their access to high-quality health services.

The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) embraces our professional responsibility to ensure health, well-being, and equity for all adolescents and young adults, including for transgender and nonbinary youth. This responsibility includes protecting access to healthcare for gender-diverse adolescent and young adult patients.

On August 15, 2023, the Journal of Adolescent Health (JAH) published an original research article online titled, “Adolescent Providers’ Experiences of Harassment related to Delivering Gender-Affirming Care.” The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) embraces our professional responsibility to ensure that all adolescents and young adults, including transgender and nonbinary youth, have access to health, equity, and well-being.

The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) encourages concrete steps to improve outcomes for adolescents and young adults living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). In a position paper, published on July 7, 2023, in the Journal of Adolescent Health, SAHM emphasizes that, to understand the disparities that adolescents and young adults living with HIV face, it is important to focus on the multiple steps along the HIV continuum of care.

“People First: Stop Stigma and Discrimination, Strengthen Prevention”
The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed annually on June 26. The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) supports this day by acknowledging the complex and multi-faceted challenges of global substance use and illicit trafficking.

The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) supports World No Tobacco Day, which occurs annually on May 31st. Tobacco use continues to be a major global public health issue; most tobacco use initiation occurs during adolescence and young adulthood. In support of the 2023 theme, “Grow Food, Not Tobacco,”1 SAHM encourages everyone around the globe who works to protect the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) to commit individual and collective efforts to: 1.) reduce tobacco production because of the negative environmental and human impacts, and 2.) prevent and reduce tobacco use among all adolescents and young adults.

Más de 40 millones de adolescentes y jóvenes adultos son refugiados y/o migrantes internacionales [1]. La Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) asume nuestra responsabilidad profesional de asegurar que todos los adolescentes y jóvenes adultos, incluyendo los jóvenes refugiados y migrantes, tengan acceso a relaciones familiares estables, vivienda, educación, salud, bienestar y un futuro positivo.

More than 40 million adolescents and young adults are international refugees and/or migrants [1]. The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) embraces our professional responsibility to assure that all adolescents and young adults, including refugee and migrant youth, have access to stable family relationships, housing, education, health, well-being, and a positive future.

The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) has released its position paper regarding the promotion of sexual consent principles in the sexual and reproductive health care of adolescents and young adults. The paper, published online on May 6, in the Journal of Adolescent Health, was based on a comprehensive review of the international scientific literature published in English, reports and technical guidance from national and international organizations, and consensus opinions among the members of interprofessional SAHM review team.