Frosh

Yes, in New York State, a woman of any age can get medical services, including an abortion, without parental notification. It is possible for minors to receive pregnancy termination services without notifying a parent or guardian in the following states:

Alaska California Connecticut Florida Hawaii Illinois Montana Nevada New Hampshire

New Jersey New Mexico New York Oklahoma Oregon Vermont Washington Washington, D.C.

These states do not require parental notification. For a detailed list of parental consent and notification laws for abortion in all states, visit the Guttmacher Institute's State Facts About Abortion. Regardless of a state's parental notification laws, there may be laws prohibiting abortions after a certain point in the pregnancy.

In states that do require parental notification, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that there must be another option, called "judicial bypass." This involves a judge ruling whether a young woman is mature enough to make this kind of decision without her parent or guardian. An organization, such as Planned Parenthood, can help with this.

Students at Columbia who are considering abortion can start with a visit to Primary Care Medical Services to get more information and discuss their options. The Primary Care practice groups are located on the 3rd and 4th floors of John Jay Hall; you can make an appointment with your practice group's receptionist directly (if you already have a group assigned to you) or by calling x4-2284. The staff who work there care about students and have knowledge of local services. They will help you understand your choices — surgical vs. medical — depending upon how far along you are in your pregnancy. When you go to your appointment, you are welcome to, and it may make sense to, bring your partner or a friend, someone who is supportive to you, to be with you during the process, and to support you in your decision. Take a look at What about abortion? Where? How? to learn more about Women's Health referrals to outside providers and paying for an abortion for Columbia students.

You can also visit Planned Parenthood for a consultation. To make an appointment for any one of the three Planned Parenthood centers in New York City, call 212.965.7000, or check online. Outside of New York City, call 1.800.230.PLAN (-7526) or log onto their web site to find a Planned Parenthood near you.

Both Health Services at Columbia and Planned Parenthood will also be able to offer you information about workable forms of contraception in the future for you and your partner(s). You can also ask them about Emergency Contraception, in case of a future birth control failure or other reasons.

Alice

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