NYC Health + Hospitals will provide care regardless of your ability to pay. We have several options available. Come in, and we will discuss them with you.
We have YouthHealth locations throughout New York City. Find YouthHealth locations near you.
You can get regular primary care as well as confidential sexual and reproductive health care services:
Primary care:
- Check-ups
- Sports physicals and exams for working papers
- Immunizations (also known as "shots")
- Care for chronic conditions such as asthma
- Advice about eating and exercise
- Care when you feel sick
If you are under 18, your parent or guardian needs to be present for primary care visits – especially if you are visiting us for the first time. Your parent or guardian can sign a form so that you can come in by yourself for future visits.
Sexual and reproductive health care:
- Pregnancy testing, review and option counseling of your results
- Birth control options and counseling (including emergency contraception)
- Pre-pregnancy counseling and prenatal care
- Abortion care
- Testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia or gonorrhea
- HIV testing and treatment
- Post-sexual assault care
You do not need permission from a parent or guardian for sexual and reproductive health care. In fact, the law protects your confidentiality. For more information about your rights to confidential care, you can read this brochure from the New York Civil Liberties Union [in PDF].
Mental health services:
- Mental health counseling
- Substance use counseling
Some mental health services are available without permission from a parent or guardian. For more information about your rights to confidential care, you can read this brochure from the New York Civil Liberties Union [in PDF].
Sexual and reproductive healthcare are any health services dedicated to healthy sexual activity, treatment of reproductive tract infections, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Those can include:
- Pregnancy testing, review, and option counseling of your results
- Birth control options and counseling (including emergency contraception)
- Pre-pregnancy counseling and prenatal care
- Abortion care
- Testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia or gonorrhea
- HIV testing and treatment
- Post-sexual assault care
We provide different types of birth control, including the pill, the patch, the ring, Depo-Provera ("the shot") and condoms. We also offer or make referrals for intrauterine devices (IUDs) or arm implants. Patient protocols vary slightly from location to location, so depending on where you go, you may have to make another appointment for the IUD or the implant. All of these methods prevent pregnancy, but not sexually transmitted infections. Our clinics also provide condoms, which prevent both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. You can learn more about birth control options at this page.
Emergency contraception (also known as Plan B or the morning after pill) is a medication someone can take after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy. You can use emergency contraception if you didn't use a condom or birth control, if the condom you used broke, or if you think your birth control may not work. Emergency contraception should be taken as soon as possible within 5 days after unprotected sex, and is available over the counter at a pharmacy or by prescription from a doctor. Learn more about emergency contraception at this page.
STIs, sometimes referred to as STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), pass from one person to another through sexual contact. These include chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis, and HIV. Many STIs do not show symptoms for a long time, so it is important that anyone who is sexually active get tested regularly. STIs can be treated, and most can be cured, so testing is important for minimizing the spread of an infection. Learn more about STIs and STDs at this page.
You can get an STI by having sex (vaginal, anal or oral) with someone who has an STI. Some STIs can spread by skin-to-skin contact during sex. The only way to know for sure if you have an STI is to get tested. Call any of our YouthHealth locations or just come in.
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. HPV can cause genital warts, cervical cancer, and other cancers. Patients, regardless of gender, should be vaccinated by age 13, although you can get the HPV vaccine later in adolescence or young adulthood.
Yes. Playing a sport is an important part of many young people's lives. Some sports can be demanding on your body. You can get a physical before starting a sport. If an injury occurs while playing a sport, our doctors can help you decide the best care for your injury.
If you're an adolescent under the age of 18, you can still receive confidential care for sexual and reproductive health services, as well as mental health and substance use counseling. This means the doctor cannot tell anyone – including your parent or guardian – without your permission when you receive services for:
- Pregnancy testing, review and option counseling of your results
- Birth control options and counseling (including emergency contraception)
- Pre-pregnancy counseling and prenatal care
- Abortion care
- Testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia or gonorrhea
- HIV testing and treatment
- Post-sexual assault care
- Some types of mental health counseling
- Some types of substance use counseling
For more information about your rights to confidential care, you can read this brochure from the New York Civil Liberties Union [in PDF].
If you are seeing the doctor for any other care, such as a regular check-up, shots, or care for conditions like asthma, your doctor can share this information with your parent or guardian. Also, if you tell the doctor that you may hurt yourself or other people, the doctor may report this to others in order to keep you safe.
Talking to a trusted adult, like a parent or guardian, can be very helpful. They can offer support as you face important decisions as an adolescent. While the conversation may be hard to start, it can bring you closer and you may be glad you did in the long run. Talking to your parents can be helpful, as they may offer support during difficult decisions. However, if you're uncomfortable or don't feel safe, you can reach out to a trusted adult like a caregiver, mentor, or counselor. You also have the right to make confidential medical decisions about your sexual health without involving your parents if necessary. Your medical provider should be available to answer all of your questions about sexual health and wellbeing. In New York State, you have the right to make medical decisions about your sexual health without involving your parents even before you turn 18.
