Minors' Rights

The Teen Health Initiative (THI) was created in 1997 under the auspices of the NYCLU’s Reproductive Rights Project (RRP) to work to remove the barriers that prevent young people from accessing critical reproductive health services and information.

The THI staff increases awareness of minors’ rights to receive confidential reproductive and other health care by conducting workshops for professionals who work with youth, including health care workers and school personnel. THI’s diverse team of peer educators brings this educational component to young people by presenting workshops to school groups and other youth-focused community-based organizations. Through a strategy of public education and advocacy aimed at providing teens and the professionals who service them with vital information relating to minors’ rights to confidential health care, THI has established itself as a valuable resource in responding to access barriers.

The THI minors’ rights literature and peer workshops empower young people with the information, skills and confidence they need to access essential health care services, while professional trainings equip providers to advocate for their patients. THI and RRP have become the recognized experts on issues of minors’ rights to health care in New York. Youth service providers in schools, community-based organizations and health care settings regularly turn to THI for advice and seek its assistance in advocating for their clients.

Building on the NYCLU’s foundation of legal expertise and successful advocacy, THI’s work fills a valuable niche, bridging adolescent health issues and minors’ rights.

[ Go back to the Reproductive Rights page. ]

Printer-friendly Version