Adolescents represent one fifth of the Brazilian population, approximately 30 million young people. The majority of them belong to low-income socioeconomic classes and have little education, which puts them in unfavorable situations to face this stage of physical and psychological transformations, making them a vulnerable group. These young people, despite being in a phase of growth and enjoying the vitality of youth, also get sick and have problems (whether physical or emotional), anguish and stress. We must try to understand them, studying how they interpret changes, problems, thoughts, opinions and concepts. These can be facilitating or complicating factors with regard to the best way to guide, assist and help them.

Society, almost in its entirety, tries to fit adolescents into predetermined and often prejudiced concepts (they are rebellious, aggressive, irresponsible and reckless), dealing with them in antagonistic ways, either extremely conservative and rigid or liberal and protective.

Laws, statutes, health services, schools, families and the media are still in this state of uncertainty. Many efforts have been and are being made to change this situation, but greater awareness, consciousness-raising and interaction are still needed from all sectors, both private and public, so that we can improve the social, legal, educational and health conditions of our adolescents. The

magazine Adolescência & Saúde , launched in March 2004, with a circulation of 20,000 copies distributed free of charge throughout the country, with the objective of generating, stimulating and disseminating knowledge, also aims to serve as a link between all professionals who directly or indirectly deal with adolescents. We believe that the exchange of experiences, communication and intersectoral work are fundamental in the search for effective solutions to the problems of Brazilian adolescence.

Aiming to achieve these objectives, we have entered into a partnership with the Brazilian Association of Adolescence (ASBRA), represented by its president, Dr. Walter Marcondes Filho, and we consider the participation and collaboration of all readers and colleagues to be of vital importance. In this regard, we are initiating a two-way contact in this issue through an opinion poll (available on the last page) about the magazine’s programmatic content. We are counting on and thanking you for your participation.