Adolescent gynecology is a growing field at our Reproductive Medicine Unit. In 2020, the Women’s Hospital was accredited as a training center for adolescent gynecology.
On 18 April, the Women’s Hospital was officially approved as an international training center for adolescent gynecology. The certificate was granted by the FIGJ (International Federation of Infant and Juvenile Gynecology).
This organization established the first International Fellowship of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (IFEPAG) in 1997. This examination can be completed at any of the 21 centers accredited by the organization, of which eight are in Europe. The HUS Women’s Hospital is the ninth approved training center for adolescent gynecology in Europe.
In exceptional cases, it is possible to complete the qualification outside the approved training centers, by documenting the operations of the candidate’s own unit or hospital. Specialist Elina Holopainen from the HUS Reproductive Medicine Unit completed the IFEPAG qualification in adolescent gynecology by special permission in December 2019. This allowed HUS, as the first university hospital in Finland, to apply for accredited training center status.
“Before this, physicians were able to qualify for adolescent gynecology at HUS in the reproductive medicine further training program. There is no specialization or subspeciality for this discipline in Finland. Now we can offer an adolescent gynecology qualification under an international training program,” says Holopainen.
Adolescent gynecology at HUS
Over the past ten years, adolescent gynecology at the Reproductive Medicine Unit has grown from an outpatient clinic held two days a week to a continuous activity employing one full-time specialist.
Adolescent gynecology involves working closely with adolescent psychiatry, for instance in the care of transgender adolescents. HUS and Tampere University Hospital (TAYS) share national responsibility for examinations of and care for transgender minors. Hormonal treatments for transgender adolescents examined in adolescent psychiatry are introduced and monitored at the adolescent gynecology outpatient clinic.