Just For Teens

If I'm under 18 and want to get birth control or an abortion, do I need my parents' consent? Will they be told?

No. Not if you live in the state of New York.

The state of New York has no parental consent or parental notification laws. You do not need parental consent to get an abortion. Your parents will not be notified if you choose to have one.

As a matter of fact, there are confidentiality laws in New York State that prohibit providers from telling parents if a minor has received any family planning services, including abortion and birth control.

Outside of New York State, more than half of the states have parental consent or parental notification laws. Parental consent laws require that a minor (someone under the legal age of adulthood, which may be 16,17, or 18, depending upon the state) must have the consent of either one or both parents or a legal guardian in order to have an abortion.

Parental notification laws require that one or both parents or a legal guardian be notified by the young woman or the abortion provider, depending upon the state, before an abortion can be performed.

All parental consent laws and most parental notification laws contain a judicial bypass provision that allows an underage woman to go before a judge to request that the consent or notification requirement be waived. In addition, it is legal to get an abortion in a state where you do not live and there are no parental consent laws.

If you live outside New York State and are unsure about reproductive health rights for minors, please visit the NARAL website for more details.

To learn more about a minor's rights in New York State, visit the New York Civil Liberties Union site.