Young Men's Clinic
Columbia School of Public Health
Center for Population and Family Health and
Presbyterian Hospital's Ambulatory Care Network

Founded in 1986, the Young Men's Clinic (YMC) serves the general health needs of adolescent males in the Washington Heights section of New York City. Based in the Columbia University School of Public Health's Center for Population and Family Health (CPFH) and Presbyterian Hospital's Ambulatory Care Network, the Young Men's Clinic operates one night and one afternoon a week, providing a comfortable space for male-only services. Through focus groups and interviews, Dr. Bruce Armstrong, coordinator/founder of the YMC, found that a major reason that men had not been utilizing health services was that men were embarrassed to address their reproductive health concerns. At the "Young Men's Clinic," the stigma or perception of the CPFH as a "women's only" facility is removed, and as a result, the YMC serves as the primary care provider for many men in the community. Services include physical examinations, condom distribution and education, STI/HIV testing and counseling, as well as other reproductive health services.

The YMC serves mostly young, sexually active men aged 15 to 28 years who live in the Washington Heights community. Eighty percent of the patients are Latino/Dominican and 17% are African American. Men from all over the city utilize services at the YMC, with many of them being referred by the female clients at the CPFH. The facility's original client base was generated through extensive outreach in the community, including creative efforts to reach men at athletic events in the neighborhood. Today, word-of-mouth is often the source of referral, with the YMC having to do little or no outreach.

The facility is staffed by Dr. Armstrong and as many as three or more other medical providers and graduate public health students, both male and female. Dr. Armstrong finds that patients seem to be comfortable interacting with or receiving services from providers of both genders. The YMC has become so well-known in the community that nothing short of a full case-load of patients is seen on a typical night. The YMC receives funding from Title X, Medicaid, and the New York Department of Health. At the present time, the YMC does not charge a fee for services.

Dr. Armstrong believes that a major reason for the YMC's success lies in the staff attitudes that men are indeed interested and motivated to be involved in reproductive health. Negative stereotypes and attitudes toward male clients may unfairly jeopardize an effort to involve men.

For more information on the Young Men's Clinic,
call (212) 304-5247.

Next: Planned Parenthood, Hempstead, NY >>

---

Join our mailing list - ReCAPPNotes! Copyright © 2007 ETR Associates. All rights reserved. Disclaimer