New York City – Despite the Public Advocate report findings, all 11 HHC hospitals as well as our community-based adolescent health centers provide access to emergency contraception for adult women and adolescents. The report fundamentally confuses HHC teen health clinics that provide basic pediatric care with our adolescent health centers where reproductive and adolescent medicine is practiced. In the case of Child Health Clinics, the staff correctly advised that access to emergency contraception was not available at those locations.

HHC patients can get an emergency contraception prescription upon request and can fill it the same day or in the future. Women with insurance or who have Medicaid are able to fill their prescription at neighborhood pharmacies while those without insurance are able to go to HHC's 11 hospital-based pharmacies and access it at little or no cost. Patients are also given a follow-up appointment with a health care provider who will provide medical counseling, health education and prescriptions for contraceptives, if the patient so chooses.

HHC will conduct additional training for clinical and non-clinical staff who may also be asked about the availability of emergency contraception.

HHC is committed to providing emergency contraception regardless of a patient's ability to pay; this policy is standard across our system. HHC staff help patients enroll in available insurance programs if they are eligible. We also offer services at little or no cost through our HHC Options program.