For Parents and Caregivers

Our highly trained doctors can help your adolescent think about how their behaviors will affect their health and well-being and can work with them to help them make sensible good decisions.

As a parent or guardian, your child's health is one of the most important things. But as they grow, so might your concerns. Is he smoking? Is she experimenting with drugs? Having sex or thinking about it?

Our highly trained doctors can help your adolescent think about how their behaviors will affect their health and well-being and can work with them to help them make sensible good decisions.

Part of Growing Up is Independence

Part of growing up is learning to take care of things for oneself. This includes taking care of our own health care needs. As children get older, it's helpful for them to learn how to schedule their own doctor's appointments, register for their visit and talk to doctors and nurses about what they need. For adolescents, this is even more important. When it comes to sex, alcohol, smoking or drugs, sometimes it's easier for youth to talk to doctors and nurses if parents aren't in the same room.

Sexual and Reproductive Care for Your Adolescent

Adolescents can get sexual and reproductive health care services without permission from a parent or guardian. Those services are confidential according to the New York State law. That means that doctors and nurses can't tell anyone else that an adolescent received sexual and reproductive health care services unless the patient gives his or her permission. Research shows that when adolescents trust that what they say to the doctor is confidential, they are more likely to get the care they need to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

If you would like more information about adolescents' rights to confidential sexual and reproductive health care services, download a brochure from the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Transition of Care (Pediatric/Adolescent Medicine to Adult Primary Care)

Transitioning from Pediatric/Adolescent Medicine to Adult Primary Care usually happens after the age of 21. At NYC Health + Hospitals, we are committed to making this process as smooth as possible for our patients. We understand that becoming an adult can be a challenging time full of many changes, and leaving your Pediatric/ Adolescent care team can be difficult. We know how important the relationship with your provider is, which is why we believe that a seamless transition is essential. During these visits, adolescent patients can expect to have some one-on-one time with their provider.

As a teen tranisions to adult and takes on more responsibilities, it is important to understand the Transition of Care process. In Pediatric Care, a parent or guardian was typically the decision maker when it came to a child's health care. Teenagers have more decisions to make regarding health care and are allowed by law to seek certain services confidentially. These are some of the first steps in teens taking responsibility of their own care, and they give an idea of what to expect once fully transitioned out of Pediatric/Adolescent Medicine.

To learn more about transitioning your care from Pediatrics/Adolescent Medicine to Adult Primary Care, please see the information and resources below.

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Please see the handouts below for more resources on the process of transitioning care from Pediatrics to Adolescent Medicine to Adult Primary Care.

Download: