In Colorado, the law states that minors can access reproductive health care services without parental notification or consent. That means it’s legal for you to take a pregnancy test, start a birth control method, or get tested for STIs without your parents knowing or agreeing to it.

However, we do not perform blood pregnancy tests at Teen Clinic. Here’s why: urine pregnancy tests and blood pregnancy tests are both looking for the hormone HCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin).  A urine pregnancy tests measures whether or not the hormone is present. A blood pregnancy test, on the other hand, measures how much of the hormone is present. Because of this, blood pregnancy tests are more expensive. They are used to estimate how pregnant someone is.

Because Teen Clinic does not offer obstetric care, we do not offer pregnancy tests that determine how pregnant someone is—only whether or not they are.  If you are pregnant, we do offer free options counseling.  Patients who decide to continue their pregnancies will be referred to another doctor who offers pre-natal services.

Thanks for asking a great question! Feel free to walk in at Teen Clinic any day we’re open for a free urine pregnancy test.

… Or can she come with me into the room?

At Teen Clinic, our policy is to bring patients back alone. This is for the patient’s protection—we want to make sure each patient feels they can honestly share information about their sexual health, family, relationships, and substance abuse history, without censoring themselves because someone else is in the room. We understand you may feel uncomfortable coming back alone your first time—but we promise we’re very nice!

After we’ve had a chance to talk to you, we’re happy to answer questions your partner or parent might have. If your friend has questions about sexual health, tell them to consider making an appointment, too! Lots of friends support each other by visiting Teen Clinic at the same time.

If you are having a procedure done—such as an Implanon or IUD insertion—feel free to ask the practitioner if your friend can come back. We’ll still want to talk to you alone at the beginning of the visit, but we know it can be nice to have a hand to hold during insertions.

Thanks for asking!

In Colorado, minors do not need parental consent to receive an abortion. However, state law does require that they notify their parents/guardian at least 48 hours before the procedure.  A minor can choose to notify her parents herself (with a certification form), or she may choose to have her abortion provider send notification by certified mail.  She may also ask a judge to excuse her from this requirement, particularly if telling her parents would place her in danger.

In other words, no. If you are under 18 and seeking an abortion in Colorado, you are required to tell a parent unless you are in danger or a victim of incest/abuse.

In some states, parental notification is not required. To learn more about abortion laws by state, check out this Guttmacher Institute Fact Sheet.  If you are pregnant and not sure what to do, give Teen Clinic a call. We offer free, unbiased decision counseling and referrals.

No!  In Colorado, it’s actually your legal right to get reproductive healthcare without parental notification or consent. That means you can walk into Teen Clinic or make an appointment any day we’re open without your parents/guardians knowing or being involved. All of our appointments are confidential- including STI testing & treatment, birth control methods, exams, emergency contraception and pregnancy tests. The only exception is for the HPV vaccine Gardasil- teens under 18 must have parental/guardian signature to receive it.

Even though Teen Clinic is confidential, we’ll always encourage you to talk to a parent or trusted adult about your sexual health.  If you’re not sure how to approach the topic, chat with one of our nurses during your appointment.  Reading our section for parents/guardians might help you understand your parents better, too.

What a great question!  At Teen Clinic, we require everyone to fill out three forms:

• Our privacy policy. By law, all health professionals must protect the confidentiality of their patients. They must also inform patients of their privacy rights. By signing this form, Teen Clinic patients are acknowledging that they have read the policy and know their information is confidential.

• Our Family Planning consent.  This consent form tells patients more about our services.  We do not ask patients any questions on this form, but we do require that everyone signs it.  Among other things, the form lets patients know we are required by law to report certain medical information; by signing, a patient is consenting to our services.

• Our demographic form. Funding for Teen Clinic comes from a lot of places.  One of these is Title X, a federal family planning program that subsidizes birth control costs for low-income people. In order to receive this funding, we are required to collect information on the income and insurance status of our patients.   Teen Clinic also receives funding from private foundations and local governments, as well as private individuals. Sometimes our funders want to know what types of people we are reaching. Because of this, our demographic form includes questions about your address, disability status, race, ethnicity, language, gender/sex, and sexual orientation. Lastly, it’s important that we know certain important things about our patients! Your name, birthdate, relationship status, emergency contact and whether or not your parents know you are here are all important to your care. We also want to know whether it’s okay to text you, call you, leave you a message, or send mail.

Depending on what you’re here for, you may need to fill out forms about your medical health history. On these forms, we ask questions about your family’s health history, your menstruation (if female), your nutritional and exercise habits, and your drug and alcohol use. You may also be asked to answer questions about the number of partners you’ve had, sexual activities you’re engaging in, and condom use. Please answer these questions honestly!  Having your most up-to-date, accurate information will allow us to fully address your health concerns.

If you have any specific concerns about Teen Clinic paperwork, feel free to ask! Give us a call at the clinic to talk to someone about paperwork. You can also talk to the Front Desk employee when you are filling out your forms.

And don’t forget that Teen Clinic is always there for you and your Teen!

Nope!  In Colorado, the law states that minors can access contraceptive and STI-related services without parental notification or consent.  It’s actually illegal for us to discuss your care with anyone else—unless you tell us we can!  Because Teen Clinic is free, you won’t need money from your parents to take care of your health. We also double check whether it’s okay to call, text, or leave you a message to help protect your confidentiality.

Teen Clinic can be a great place to brainstorm how to talk to your parents about sexual health. Feel free to share your concerns about confidentiality with our medical professionals. At the end of the day, getting tested is a healthy, responsible decision if you’re already sexually active! We recommend getting tested after new partners, unprotected sex, or at least once a year.

Yes! If you are sexually active, it is healthy and responsible to start a birth control method. At Teen Clinic, our practitioners will discuss your medical history with you to find a method that’s safe and works with your lifestyle. Give us a call to make an appointment.

In Colorado, the law states that minors can access contraceptive and STI-related services without parental notification or consent. That means you have the right to start a birth control method or get tested for STIs without your parents knowing or agreeing to it.  Teen Clinic can be a great place to brainstorm how to talk to your parents or another trusted adult about your sexual health; however, we support your right to receive the services you need, regardless of your age!

Nope!  In Colorado, it’s actually your legal right to get reproductive healthcare without parental notification or consent, even as a minor! At Teen Clinic, you can get started on a birth control method, get tested for STIs, or receive treatment for an infection without your parents knowing or agreeing to it.  All of our services are free to make sure that everyone who needs care can access it.

Even though Teen Clinic is both free and confidential, we do hope you’ll talk to a parent or trusted adult about your sexual health.  If you’re not sure how to approach the topic, brainstorm with one of our nurses during your appointment.  Give our section for parents/guardians a read, too—it might help you understand your parents better.

And if you (or they!) have access to a few bucks, consider making a donation to Teen Clinic. Patient gifts are what keep Teen Clinic up and running. We’re here for you whenever you need us!

Check out sexual health laws across the country by visiting The Guttmacher Institute.

Yes!  Teen Clinic is a free, confidential way to get the care you need.  The sooner you make an appointment, the sooner we can help you get healthy!

We know transportation can be tough for teens. Thankfully, both of our clinics are located near easy-to-use bus routes. This website can help you figure out how to get to us if you don’t have access to a car. You might also want to consider talking to a trusted adult. We know it can be scary to discuss sexual health, but many adults—whether a parent, uncle, friend’s parent, or teacher—support youth who make responsible health decisions, like choosing to get tested for STIs.  You may have someone in your life who is willing to help you get to the clinic! (Once you’re here, our nurses can brainstorm with you on how to talk to your parents in the future.)

Curious about which tests you should ask for? Check out this guide on what to get tested for after sex.