Kym R Ahrens, MD

Kym R Ahrens, MD

Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Adolescent Medicine

On staff since August 2005

Academic Title: Associate Professor

Research Center: Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development

Language (Other than English): Spanish

"I love working with teens. They are some of the most challenging and rewarding patients at Childrens. I am passionately committed in my clinical and research work to helping at-risk adolescents experience a healthier transition to adulthood."

  • Biography

    Kym Ahrens, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Seattle Childrens Hospital and the University of Washington School of Medicine. She earned her MD from the University of Iowa College of Medicine. She completed residency, Adolescent Medicine training at Seattle Childrens and the University of Washington.

    Her clinical and research interests are in promoting positive physical and mental health outcomes in at-risk youth. Some of her past research has focused on the influence of adult mentors on the adult outcomes of youth in foster care and youth with learning disabilities. Dr. Ahrens is currently conducting a series of NIH-sponsored research studies focused on developing an intervention program to reduce risk of sexually transmitted infections including HIV among adolescents in the foster system.

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  • Awards and Honors
    Award Name Award Description Awarded By Award Date
    New Investigator Award Society for Adolescent Health & Medicine 2013
    UW Center for AIDS Research New Investigator Award UW Center for AIDS Research 2010
    NRSA Fellowship Award, NIH 2005 - 2008
    Family Centered Care Award University of Washington Pediatrics Residency Program 2005
  • Publications

    Manuscripts in Refereed Journals

    • Dworsky A, Ahrens K, Courtney M
      Health insurance coverage and use of family planning services among current and former foster youth: implications of the health care reform law.
      23262773 Journal of health politics, policy and law, 2013 April : 38(2)421-39
    • Ahrens KR, Ciechanowski P, Katon W
      Associations between adult attachment style and health risk behaviors in an adult female primary care population.
      22469278 Journal of psychosomatic research, 2012 May : 72(5)364-70
    • Ahrens KR, Katon W, McCarty C, Richardson LP, Courtney ME
      Association between childhood sexual abuse and transactional sex in youth aging out of foster care.
      22265906 Child abuse & neglect, 2012 Jan. : 36(1)75-80 PMCID:PMC3322618
    • Ahrens KR, Dubois DL, Garrison M, Spencer R, Richardson LP, Lozano P
      Qualitative exporation of relationships with important non-parental adults in the lives of youth in foster care.
      22661797 Children and youth services review, 2011 June : 33(6)1012-1023 PMCID:PMC3363001
    • Ahrens KR, Richardson LP, Courtney ME, McCarty C, Simoni J, Katon W
      Laboratory-diagnosed sexually transmitted infections in former foster youth compared with peers.
      20547646 Pediatrics, 2010 July : 126(1)e97-e103
    • Ahrens K, Stapleton FB, Batra M
      The university of washington pediatric residency program experience in global health and community health and advocacy.
      23140865 The virtual mentor : VM, 2010 March : 12(3)184-9
    • 1. Suchdev P, Ahrens K, Click E, Macklin L, Evangelista D, Graham E.
      Sustainable Short-Term International Medical Trips: Lessons Learned from a Resident-Run Program
      Ambulatory Pediatrics, 2007 : 7:317-320

    Published Abstracts

    • Ahrens KR, Coatney A, Bonnar M, McCarty CM, Courtney ME, Simoni J
      "It just happens": norms, attitudes, and other factors influencing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection risk in foster youth
      Accepted for presentation at the International Association for Adolescent Health World Congress, Istanbul, Turkey, 2013 June
    • King KM, Ahrens K, McCarty CA, Vander Stoep A, McCauley E
      Chronic Stress exposure enhances the prospective effects of affective dysregulation on problematic alcohol use during adolescence
      Accepted for presentation at the 2013 Research Socieety on Alcoholism annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, 2013 June
    • Ahrens KR, McCarty CM, Courtney ME, Dworsky A, Simoni J
      psychosocial pathways to sti risk for adolescents in foster care: evidence from a longitudinal study of youth transitioning out of care
      Accepted for presentation at the International Association for Adolescent Health World Congress, Istanbul, Turkey, 2013 June
    • Ahrens KR, Coatney A, Bonnar M, McCarty CM, courtney ME, Simoni J
      "it just happens": norms, attitudes, and other factors influencing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection risk in foster youth
      Presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 2013 May
    • Rosenthal J, Ahrens K, Keller K
      art and reflections on health by youth transitioning from foster care
      Presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 2013 May
    • Ahrens KR, McCarty CM, Courtney ME, Dworsky A, Simoni J
      pathways to sti risk for adolescents in foster care: evidence from a longitudinal study of youth transitioning out of care
      Presented at the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, 2013 March
    • Ahrens KR, Simoni J, McCarty CM, Courtney ME
      "I am celibate and so are my sexual partners": the importance of mixed methods to understand STI/HIV risk among adolescents in foster care
      Presented at the University of Washington Center for AIDS Research Annual HIV/AIDS Symposium, Seattle, WA, 2011 Nov.
    • Ahrens KR, Dworsky A, Courtney ME
      Implications of health care reform legislation for access to reproductive health care services among current and former foster youth
      Presented at the Reproductive Justice and Health Care Reform Conference, Chicago, IL, 2011 May
    • Ahrens KR, Richardson LP, Courtney ME, McCarty CM, Simoni J, Katon W
      the risk of laboratory-diagnosed sexually transmitted infections among female and male youth who have been in foster care
      Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting, 2010 May
    • Ahrens KR, DuBois DL
      relationships with non-parental adult mentors in adolescence and health outcomes in adulthood: evidence from a national study
      Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine Annual Conference, 2010 April
    • Ahrens KR, Courtney ME, Richardson LP, McCarty C, Katon W
      A history of childhood rape is associated with an increased likelihood of prostitution among adolescents aging out of foster care
      Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting, 2009 May
    • Ahrens KR, DuBois DL, Richardson LP, Garrison MM, Lozano P
      A qualitative exploration of the adult mentoring relatinships in the lives of former youth in foster care
      Society for Research on Adolescence Biennial Meeting, 2008 March
    • Ahrens KR, Richardson LP, Lozano P, Fan M, DuBois DL
      Foster Care Youth with Adult Mentors During Adolescence Have Improved Adult Outcomes
      Presented at the Society for Adolescent Medicine Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, 2007 March
    • Ahrens KR, Richardson LP, Lozano P, Fan M, DuBois DL
      Do Disabled Youth with naturally-acquired mentoring relationships have improved outcomes during adulthood?
      Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting, 2007

    Other Publications

    • Britner PA, Randall KG, Ahrens KR
      Chapter 26: Youth in Foster Care
      The Handbook of Youth Mentoring, 2nd Edition. David DuBois and Michael Karcher, Eds., 2013
    • Ahrens KR, DuBois DL, Lozano P, Fan M, Richardson LP
      Naturally-acquired menotring relationships and young adult outcomes among adolescents with learning disabilities
      Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 2010 : (24)207-216
    • Ahrens KR, DuBois DL, Richardson LP, Fan MY, Lozano P
      Youth in foster care with adult mentors during adolescence have improved adult outcomes.
      18182469 Pediatrics, 2008 Feb. : 121(2)e246-52
    • Ahrens KR, DuBois DL, Richardson LP, Fan MY, Lozano P
      Youth in foster care with adult mentors during adolescence have improved adult outcomes.
      18182469 Pediatrics, 2008 Feb. : 121(2)e246-52
    • Suchdev P, Ahrens K, Click E, Macklin L, Evangelista D, Graham E
      A model for sustainable short-term international medical trips.
      17660105 Ambulatory pediatrics : the official journal of the Ambulatory Pediatric Association, 2007 July : 7(4)317-20

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  • Research Funding
    Grant Title Grantor Amount Award Date
    Pediatric Loan Repayment Program NIH Jan 1, 2009

Overview

Board Certification(s)

Pediatrics
Adolescent Medicine

Medical/Professional School

University Of Iowa Roy J & Lucille A Carver College Of Medicine, Iowa City, IA

Residency

University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA

Fellowship

University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA

Clinical Interests

High-risk adolescents