No. Since I am no longer under the age of 18, I am no longer considered a minor.

Typically, a minor in NY State is considered emancipated if he or she is:
*married
*in the armed services
*is economically independent (i.e. paying own rent)
*has parents who have failed to fulfill parental support obligations and he or she seeks emancipation.

Not easily. There is no court procedure in NY State to become an emancipated minor on my own. But if I fit any of the conditions mentioned in #2, then I can be considered emancipated for certain purposes, such as being able to consent to all of my own health care.

No, not without my permission. The results of that test are confidential and therefore can only be disclosed to me, since I am the person who consented to the test.    

No. If I can give informed consent (meaning that I understand the risks and benefits of the treatment and its alternatives), I can get treatment for sexually transmitted infections on my own. Therefore, the doctor doesn’t need to get consent from my parent(s).

Possibly. My doctor can’t disclose the information to my parents. But there is a chance that a limited amount of information may be disclosed to my parents through the insurance company. However, I can ask my doctor or the insurance company beforehand about the risks of my parents finding out about my treatment, and possibly seek treatment at a health facility that provides services for free, on a sliding scale (meaning I pay as much as I can), or will let me pay in cash.

Yes, probably. If my physician determines that I can give informed consent and comply with the treatment regimen and that getting parental consent might cause harm, he or she can treat me without parental consent. If I think I may not be able to follow the treatment regimen without help, I can look to another adult, like my older sibling or trusted aunt, to help me get treatment without involving my parents.

No. Birth control pills, like all other forms of contraception, must be made available to minors without parental consent.

I probably can get mental health treatment, including medication, on my own. If my mental health care provider determines that I need mental health treatment, and that requiring parental consent would be detrimental to the course of my treatment (including the possibility that I won't seek treatment if I have to involve my parents), then he or she can treat me and prescribe medication without getting parental consent. If I did ask my parents and they refused to consent to my care, I can still get treatment if a physician determines that care is in my best interests.

No. Parental consent is not required for a minor to receive drug and alcohol counseling. Also, the counselor cannot disclose the information I share with him to my parents without my permission. However, if my school requires parental permission for all health-related services, I have the option of refusing treatment rather than involving my parents. If my school gets any funding from the government, then I can get services without parental involvement, and anything I say to the counselor -- even if it's not specific to drug and alcohol problems -- is protected by strict federal confidentiality laws. This means that even if I tell my counselor that I've been using illegal drugs, he or she can’t disclose this information to any authorities that might conduct a criminal investigation of me or charge me with a criminal offense.

11) You’re a teen mother. You need to take your baby to get vaccinated. Can you consent to your child’s medical care as well as your own?

Yes. Since I am a parent, I can consent to all my own health care as well as my child’s health care. When I was pregnant, I was able to consent to all necessary medical care on my own as well.

12) You're a pregnant teenager and your principal says you need to leave your school for an "alternative school" because you are a distraction to the other students. Can your principal force you to leave your school?

No. It is a violation of federal law, known as Title IX, for any school that receives money from the government (which includes all public schools and some private schools) from discriminating against students on the basis of gender, including pregnancy. Therefore, my principal is discriminating against me and violating Title IX by pressuring or coercing me into leaving my school, since the only reason she is doing this is because I am pregnant. Furthermore, the school cannot force me to take a medical leave of absence from school; this is a decision that only can be made by me and my doctor. So unless my doctor and I decide that I should stay home for medical reasons, or unless I decide I want to transfer to another school, I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here at my school!