Reflections about legislation and public policies regarding to adolescent health

Objective: to bring thoughts about public policies and legislation regarding adolescent health. Methodology: narrative literature review, built by bibliographical and documentarian research. We searched in LILACS, SciELO, BDENF and ADOLEC bases, from 2005 to 2009. The descriptors used: adolescent, public policy, health policy, adolescent health. The sample was composed of eleven articles and nine documents. Results: in 1985, WHO announced the international year of youth and Brazil was signatory, inferring in a national policy reorientation. Since then, there has been changes that influenced positively the construction of a governmental policy for health for teenagers. Its highlights were: promulgation of the Federal Constitution in 1988, creation of adolescent health program in 1989, institution of The Statute of Children and Adolescents in 1990. Even with rights established along this documents, essential to subside a qualified assistance to hospitalized adolescents, we observed that such rights are frequently violated or poorly respected. Conclusion: it´s believed that the practice of health regulations will be held if health professionals be aware of then, encouraging to demand its execution by the health institutions. Descriptors: adolescent; adolescent health; legislation; health policy; public policies.RESUMOObjetivo: refletir acerca da legislação e de políticas públicas voltadas à saúde do adolescente. Metodologia: revisão narrativa da literatura, construída por pesquisa bibliográfica e documental. Buscou-se nas bases SciELO, LILACS, BDENF e ADOLEC, no período de 2005 a 2009. Utilizou-se os descritores: adolescente, políticas públicas, política de saúde, saúde do adolescente. A amostra foi constituída por onze artigos e nove documentos. Resultados: 1985 foi o ano Internacional da Juventude pela OMS. O Brasil foi signatário, repercutindo na política nacional. Desde então, houve marcos que influenciaram positivamente a construção das políticas de saúde para o adolescente, destacam-se: 1988, ...