J2 Examination for young people: These things are checked
Your child is around 16 or 17 years old and is almost an adult. Now would be a good time to take another optional health screening, the J2. We’ll tell you what exactly is examined in the J2.
Your child is almost an adult and independently makes numerous decisions for their later life. It is good to know whether everything is in the green in terms of health. For this reason, an additional check-up before the age of 18 is offered – the J2 check-up. If your child was in the U10 or U11 , they should take the green checkbook with them, because all the results of the examination are noted here.
Since the J2 examination is an optional preventive appointment, the costs are not borne by all statutory health insurance companies or are only covered as part of an additional program. Just ask your health insurance company whether the J2 is part of the insurance coverage. The cost of the examination is around 50 euros.
What is examined in the J2 examination?
The J2 examination is about doing another thorough health check. Among other things, this involves recognizing and treating possible puberty and sexual disorders, postural and thyroid problems. But social and emotional development are also considered. With regard to the later choice of occupation, attention is paid to allergies or illnesses that exclude certain occupations.
Otherwise, some standard examinations are carried out at the J2, which your child already knows from previous appointments:
- Size and weight: If you notice that you are overweight or underweight, the doctor will investigate the causes and offer advice on nutrition and exercise.
- Skeleton and musculature: The skeleton and musculature are checked in order to identify and treat undesirable developments or postural errors. Poor posture is often due to underdeveloped abdominal and back muscles, which can be rebuilt through targeted exercises.
- (Genital) organs: The internal organs are scanned in the J2 and the sexual organs are also examined. The doctor can check whether your child is developing according to their age.
- Skin: The doctor examines the complexion for noticeable skin changes, skin damage caused by too much sun, for example, or small scars that can indicate injection punctures.
- Sensory organs: the senses of sight and hearing are tested to rule out possible damage, for example due to loud music from the headphones.
- Thyroid: When palpating, the doctor can also determine whether the thyroid is enlarged and a so-called goiter is emerging. This is often due to an iodine deficiency and can usually be treated without any problems. To make sure the thyroid is functioning normally, your child will need to give a blood test.
- Blood and urine sample: The examination of blood and urine is also used for the early detection of possible metabolic diseases, such as diabetes.
- Allergies: An allergy test is often also part of the J2. This is to prevent certain allergies from being discovered during vocational training and your child from having to change jobs as a result.
How far is the social and emotional development in the J2 study?
In most cases, the youth doctor has known your child for many years. In a personal conversation, where your child can be sure that it will remain confidential, topics such as drug use, addictive behavior, aggression or other problems in everyday life can also be discussed. The doctor can provide information about the wide range of therapies on offer and will be able to offer your child help with many questions. A counseling interview on choosing a career is also often part of the J2.
If there are no further questions, your child has completed all preventive medical check-ups for children and young people with the J2. As an adult, it is advisable to visit your family doctor for a health check every two years.