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New York City
OVERVIEW
By American standards, New York City is a very progressive city in offering sexual and reproductive health care services. Abortion is legal and widely accessible, and Planned Parenthood facilities exist in all five boroughs. There is an especially large concentration of clinics in Manhattan and Brooklyn, but clinics can be found throughout the city. However, it should be noted that some parts of the city are more conservative than others, and there have been cases of pharmacies refusing treatment, such as Plan B, to people in the past.
Contraception
Laws & Social Stigmas
In the United States, you need a prescription, written by a physician, to obtain birth control. Once the prescription is written, you can typically fill the prescription immediately. Some of the most common pharmacies in NYC are CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreen's and Duane Read. There are also many private pharmacies in NYC.
What to Get & Where to Get It
For a relatively low cost, Planned Parenthood writes and fulfills birth control prescriptions. If you don't have a prescription, you can receive the prescription and pills in the same day. If you choose to go to a location like Staten Island, you'll also be able to book an earlier appointment than in Manhattan or Brooklyn. As of 2015, Planned Parenthood only provides one form of pills: Chateal. To schedule an appointment, call 212-965-7000, Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm.
Costs
There is no one standard birth control price, as this greatly depends on which method is used. But, if you are uninsured, you can expect to pay between $20-$150/month supply of pills.
Morning After Pill/Plan B
Laws & Social Stigmas
In New York, Plan B is legal. You do not need a prescription to purchase Plan B, and there is typically little stigma related to the act. You can buy Plan B at many drug stores, such as CVS. However, a 2012 Columbia study found that 20% of NYC pharmacies unlawfully refused to sell Plan B to male shoppers. In short, you should be fine finding Plan B. If one pharmacy refuses, simply visit another one (and there are many).
What to Get & Where to Get It
Nearly all NYC pharmacies should have Plan B.
Costs
Plan B pills typically cost between $35-$60/pill.
Medications
Laws & Social Stigmas
In NYC, some medications can be obtained over-the-counter while others require a prescription. For yeast infections, you do not need a prescription. But, for urinary tract infections, it is necessary to have a doctor test for a possible UTI -- and, if tests come back positive, then you will be given a prescription for UTI medication. For STD medication that require antibiotics, such as gonorrhea, you will also need a prescription.
What to Get & Where to Get It
Nearly all NYC pharmacies should have basic medications for yeast infection, UTIs and STD medications.
Costs
Costs vary greatly according to the medication. For uninsured consumers, some medication costs may seem very steep, so you may want to seek out clinics with sliding-scale payment options if you do not have any insurance.
Menstruation
Laws & Social Stigmas
There is no social stigma against tampons in NYC or generally in the USA. They can be obtained as readily as pads in most drug stores.
What to Get & Where to Get It
You can find tampons and pads in most drug stores, pharmacies, grocery stores, etc.
Costs
Prices will vary, but as an example: You can get a box with 36 tampons for $7 at Walgreens.
Gynecological Exams
Laws & Social Stigmas
Also known as 'Well-woman exams,' there are many low-cost options available to women in the NYC area.
What to Get & Where to Get It
If budget is not an issue, there are many private practice and larger-scale hospitals in NYC. Cheaper options include Planned Parenthood, Women's Health Free Clinic and Callen-Lorde Community Health Center.
Costs
Some clinics provide a flat rate for the entire examination while other charge an extra fee for the pap smear and associated lab work. At Planned Parenthood, a sliding scale fee is offered. Other clinics, like One Medical Group (in the Bronx) and Women's Health Resource (Manhattan), charge about $150, which is generally cheaper than other providers.
STD Tests
Laws & Social Stigmas
There are many low-cost and free STD testing services in New York City. They typically do not require appointments, and they run on a first come, first serve basis. So it is recommended that you arrange for a test on a day when you have time to wait to receive your tests and results. Some STD clinics also offer vaccines for meningitis, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, as well as alcohol and drug treatment.
What to Get & Where to Get it
The New York City Department of Health offers free, same-day STD tests at facilities around the city. You can also get STD tests at Planned Parenthood.
Costs
For all patients over 19 years old, the New York City Health Department does charge fees for STD clinic services. This means that, if you have an insurance policy, your insurance will be billed. However, if you do not have insurance or do not want to bill your insurance, you will be typically asked to pay a sliding scale fee based on your family size and yearly income. Note that you will not be asked to prove your income or family size.
Pregnancy
Laws & Social Stigmas
What to Get & Where to Get It
Costs
Abortion
Laws & Social Stigmas
New York has been called the “abortion capital of America,” where it has been legally protected since 1970. This makes New York the first U.S. state to provide statewide abortion access. Furthermore, New York does not impose restrictions such as 24 waiting periods or required parental involvement, which can be found in other U.S. states.
In New York, all women, teenage or adult, can receive abortions without permission from parents or outsiders. State law requires that abortions are performed within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy or in order to save the mother’s life. The abortion must be performed on advice of an M.D. If an abortion is performed and not considered justifiable, or if it is not done within 24 weeks, the abortion can be considered a felony.
What to Get & Where to Get It
The largest clinic is Planned Parenthood’s Margaret Sanger Clinic (26 Bleecker Street).
Costs
For low-income women (regardless of citizenship status), Medicaid can be pay for abortion in New York. Some clinics offer emergency Medicaid services for same-day abortions.
Advocacy & Counseling
Laws & Social Stigmas
What to Get & Where to Get It
Costs
List of Resources
(thanks to NYU Langone Medical Center for providing this list online)
Free Clinics
New York City Free Clinic (917.544.0735, 16 East 16th Street, New York, NY 10003) Weill Cornell Community Clinic (646.962.9222, 505 East 70th Street, 1st Floor, New York, NY 10021) Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Care Clinic (212.423.3000, 312 East 94th Street, New York, NY 10128) East Harlem Health Outreach Program - Mount Sinai (626.942.6519, 17 East 102nd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10029) Columbia Student Medical Outreach (212.342.4719, 21 Audubon Avenue, New York, NY 10033) Columbia-Harlem Homeless Medical Partnership (347.614.2121, St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 521 West 126th Street, New York, NY 10027) St. Anthony's Free Clinic (718.401.9705, 421 East 155th Street, Bronx, NY 10455) ECHO Free Clinic (800.836.1316, 1894 Walton Ave, Bronx, NY 10453) Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic (exclusively for people in the entertainment industry) (212.489.1939, 475 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019)
Sliding Scale Facilities
HHC Options Facilities Find a Facility Requires proof of income or letter of support Bellevue 212.562.1000 462 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016 Metropolitan Hospital Center 212.423.6262 1901 First Avenue, New York, NY 10029 Sydenham Family Health Center 212.932.6500 264 West 118th Street, New York, NY 10027 Jacobi Medical Center 718.918.5700 1400 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, NY 10461 Elmhurst Hospital Center 718.334.4000 79-01 Broadway, Queens, NY 11373 Health and Home Care 866.692.4663 Institute for Family Health institute.org Sidney Hillman/Phillips Family Practice 212.206.5200 16 East 16th Street, New York, NY 10003 Family Health Center of Harlem 212.423.4500 1824 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10035 Amsterdam Family Health Center 212.865.4104 690 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025 P.S. 57 James Weldon Johnson School-Based Health Center 212.860.5812 176 East 115th Street, New York, NY 10029 High School of Fashion Industries School-Based Health Center 225 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10011 The IFH Center for Counseling at ASC 646.741.9100 64 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Washington Irving Campus School-Based Health Center 646.654.0640 40 Irving Place, Room 422, New York, NY 10003 Walton Family Health Center and Center for Counseling 718.583.3060 1894 Walton Avenue, Bronx, NY 10453 Mt. Hope Family Practice 718.583.9000 130 West Tremont Avenue, Bronx, NY 10453 Urban Horizons Family Health Center 718.293.3900 50-98 East 168th Street, Bronx, NY 10452 The IFH Center for Counseling at Frisby Avenue 718.239.1610 2590 Frisby Avenue, 1st Floor, Bronx, NY 10461 Stevenson Family Health Center 718.589.8775 731 White Plains Road, Bronx, NY 10473
Women's and Reproductive Health Services
Book of Choices Planned Parenthood Margaret Sanger Center 212.965.7000 26 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012 The Bronx Center 212.965.7000 349 East 149th Street, 2nd Floor, Bronx, NY 10451 Boro Hall Center 212.965.7000 44 Court Street, 6th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201 Staten Island Center 212.965.7000 23 Hyatt Street, Staten Island, NY 10301