Medical FAQs

EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION- THE “MORNING-AFTER” PILL

Mental Health FAQs

HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
STRESS
ANXIETY
DEPRESSION
SUICIDE
SELF-INJURY OR CUTTING
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR RELATIONSHIP VIOLENCE

Medical FAQs

MEDICAL FAQs ABOUT EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION (EC)- THE “MORNING-AFTER” PILL

1. How do I get Emergency Contraception?

Call us right away to make an appointment. The sooner you take EC, the more effective the pills are. While the pills can be taken up to 5 days (120 hours) after the "accident" they are less effective than if taken within the first 72 hours (3 days).

You can also get EC from a pharmacy. A good site for more information on EC is www.ec-help.org. Through this site you can also find pharmacies in your area that dispense EC by clicking "Pharmacy Locations". If you are under 18, some pharmacists are trained and allowed to dispense EC to you, but that isn't always the case. It's best to call the pharmacy beforehand to make sure that pharmacy dispenses EC to people who are under 18.

2. What happens when I come in for Emergency Contraception?

You’ll need to fill out some paperwork and get registered in the clinic. We’ll give you a fact sheet to read, a consent form to sign, and a sheet that asks some medical questions (last menstrual period, when you had unprotected sex, etc.). You will get a cup to give a urine sample, which we will use to do a pregnancy test. We will also send out your urine sample to test for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. A medical provider will ask you some questions, and talk with you about whatever treatment you will need. You can ask lots of questions then, too!

We give out the Emergency Contraception pills, and a bag of condoms. You will then be asked to make a follow-up appointment so we can help you with your birth control needs and other exams you may need. This is all done at no cost and is confidential.

3. Are there other ways I can get Emergency Contraception?

Yes. But think ahead! When you come in for any other visit in the clinic, ask your provider for an ECP prescription to keep on hand, in case you need it in the future. You can also go to other clinics, like Planned Parenthood or the City Clinics in San Francisco. Other clinics are: Cole Street Clinic and Haight Ashbury Medical Clinic. See our links section for information on other clinics. You can go to many pharmacies to get ECPs. If you have a Medi-Cal or Family Pact card, this will pay for the pills. However, some pharmacies charge a $20 consultation fee.

4. What if I want to talk to my provider and my provider is busy when I call?

Ask the receptionist to have your provider call you back. Let the receptionist know why you need to talk to the provider. Often, the receptionist or the nurse can help you right then with your question. If you get the answering machine, you can leave a message. When leaving a message, please speak s-l-o-w-l-y and spell your full name. We need a confidential way to get in touch with you. Give us some idea of the best time to call you. Some teens don’t have a cell phone, and it’s not okay to leave messages at the home number. So, you could think of a friend who has a cell phone who would be willing to let us contact her/him as a message-person. We only say who we are and our phone number, never what the issue or information is. Some teens have a work number we could contact them at. It’s important to say that the number is a work number. Give us the days and times to call you at work. We really try hard to call people back as soon as possible. We check our answering machine regularly during clinic hours.

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Mental Health FAQs

HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

1. My parents think I spend too much time with my boy/girlfriend. How do I know if I’m in a healthy relationship?

In a healthy relationship, you can balance time spent with your significant other and your friends and family. You continue to do activities you enjoy and are encouraged to do so. Although everyone argues sometimes, if you argue all the time, this is probably an indication that you are not in a healthy relationship.

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STRESS

1. How can I deal most effectively with stress?

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ANXIETY

1. What is anxiety?

Everybody experiences some anxiety (or stress) in their daily life, whether it is worry about friends, grades, romance, expectations at home, money, acceptance, or performance anxiety. Anxiety can take the form of worrying, feeling butterflies in your stomach, having a fast heart beat, constantly thinking about a stressful event, sweaty palms or forehead, tight muscles, not being able to sleep or stay asleep, or having difficulty concentrating. Self-care (or coping skills) can be an excellent way to manage your anxiety. Some examples of self-care are deep breathing exercises, physical exercise, healthy eating, adequate sleep, journaling or poetry writing, talking to a friend about your anxiety, or listening to music that calms you.

Anxiety can become overwhelming and may need professional attention if either of the following occurs (taken from the DSM-IV, American Psychiatric Association):

First, if you experience a period of intense fear or discomfort, in which four or more of the following symptoms developed quickly and peak within ten minutes:

1. fast heart beat, pounding heart
2. sweating
3. trembling or shaking
4. sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
5. feeling of choking
6. chest pain or discomfort
7. nausea or abdominal distress
8. feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded or faint
9. having feelings of unreality or feeling detached from yourself
10. fear of losing control or going crazy
11. fear of dying
12. numbness or tingling sensations
13. chills or hot flushes

Second, if you have experienced excessive worry or anxiety for more days than not for at least six months about a number of events or activities, and you have a difficult time controlling your worry, you feel restless, easily fatigued, have difficulty concentrating, feel irritable, have muscle tension, and have trouble sleeping, then you may benefit from talking to a therapist about your anxiety.

Both of these types of anxiety are treatable with therapy and medication.
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DEPRESSION

1. Am I Depressed?

Take the Depression Self Quiz!!

2. What is depression?

Depression is more than the blues or the blahs; it is more than the normal, everyday ups and downs. When that “down” mood, along with other symptoms, lasts for more than a couple of weeks, the condition may be clinical depression. Clinical depression is a serious health problem that affects the total person. In addition to feelings, it can change behavior, physical health and appearance, academic performance, and the ability to handle everyday decisions and pressures. Depression can affect people at any age or of any race, ethnic or economic group.

3. What causes depression?

We do not yet know all the causes of depression, but there seem to be biological and emotional factors that may increase the likelihood that an individual will develop a depressive disorder. Research over the past decade strongly suggests a genetic link to depressive disorders; depression can run in families. Bad life experiences and certain personality patterns such as difficulty handling stress, low self-esteem, or extreme pessimism about the future can increase the chances or becoming depressed.

4. Is depression mostly physical or psychological?

This is beside the point. There is only one physical you, and only one psychological you. Depression may be triggered by either physical or psychological events. Most commonly, both are involved. Whatever the basis for it is, depression quickly develops into a set of physical and psychological problems which feed on each other and grow.

5. Is depression serious?

Depression can be very serious. It has been linked to poor school performance, truancy, alcohol and drug abuse, running away, and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. In the last 25 years, the rate of suicide among teenagers and young adults has increased dramatically. Suicide often is linked to depression.

6. How can a depressed teen feel better?

Therapy can be helpful for teens who are depressed. Therapy helps many depressed people to become more self aware and better able to cope with their problems. Often these problems have been under the surface for months or years, festering, causing a foundation for the depression. Help can be sought through individual counseling or group counseling. A therapist can support you to create new ways to cope with the difficult things in your life, can help you see or think about things differently, and can help you deal with a difficult family life or school and relationship stress. Other ways to combat depression is to improve your physical health by eating more vegetables, fruit and whole grains and avoiding junk food and caffeine, sleeping more and getting more rest, exercising regularly, and avoiding drugs and alcohol. Some teens benefit from taking an antidepressant, a pill that is taken daily that stabilizes your brain chemistry.

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SUICIDE

1. How can I tell if my friend is suicidal?

There are some warning signs you should watch for. A person who is feeling suicidal may:

2. How do I ask if I think someone may be suicidal?

Suicide can be difficult topic to discuss. Some possible conversation starters include:

3. What should I do if my friend is suicidal?

If someone says that they intend to commit suicide you should always take them very seriously. There are some ways you can help them get through this difficult time:

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SELF-INJURY OR CUTTING

1. What is Self-Injury or Cutting?

Most teens who self-injure use multiple methods. They are usually very good at hiding the results or explaining them away. Self-injury is an addiction and can include eating disorders, drug and alcohol use and physical damage to your body. Some teens hurt themselves by cutting, burning, picking scabs, pulling hair, banging your head and punching walls. Self-injury is more common than people realize, especially among teens and can affect teens from every socio-economic, ethnic and religious background.

Self-injury is a coping mechanism used more often by girls in part because guys tend to use more “acceptable” forms of self-injury like punching walls. Girls are generally not socialized to express their violence externally and as a result when some girls are faced with tension, pain, or any intolerable feeling, they take it out on themselves.

For help with self-injury and cutting, contact the Daly City Youth Health Center at (650) 985-7000 and ask to speak to a counselor.

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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR RELATIONSHIP VIOLENCE

1. What is Domestic Violence or Relationship Violence?

Domestic Violence is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation and often includes the threat of violence or the actual use of violence. Call 911 any time someone threatens you with violence or is physically violent to you. Any harmful physical contact done in an angry manner can be a chargeable offense.

Physical assault can include shoving, pushing, restraining, pinching, stepping on or sitting on a victim, hitting kicking, or pulling hair. Physical assaults in many cases tend to escalate in severity and frequency over time. Psychological assault can be as harmful as physical assault and can include isolation from family and friends, forced financial dependence, verbal and emotional abuse, threats, intimidation, and control over where the partner can go, who they can see or talk to, what they can wear or not wear, and what they can do.

2. What are the warning signs of being in an abusive relationship?

3. Do I have to be physically abused to get help?

No. People who are trained in helping victims of domestic or relationship violence understand that being in any kind of violent (physical or psychological) relationship creates similar problems and emotional stress.

4. How can I increase my safety while I am still in the violent relationship?

Keep important phone numbers (police, domestic violence hotlines or shelters, family and friends) with you at all times and always have change for a phone call. Tell as many people as you can about the violence and ask them to call the police if they ever think you are in danger. Develop code words to use with friends and family when you are in immediate danger. Make a list of several places you could go to be safe if you needed to get away in a hurry. Find a person or place where you can leave emergency money, keys and clothes. Join a support group for victims of relationship violence.

5. How can I increase my safety when leaving a violent relationship or when the relationship is over?

Go to court and get a restraining order and give copes to the police, your school, your workplace or any other place where you spend time. Keep a copy with you at all times. Tell the people close to you about the violence and that you are no longer in the relationship and ask them to look out for you and get help if they ever think you are in danger. If possible, change any locks in your house that the abuser has keys to. Make an escape plan in case you are in danger and have to leave home suddenly. Try not to be alone in isolated areas. Find someone you feel comfortable talking to when you need support. Seek support from a counselor.

6. Why won’t my friend just leave her abusive boyfriend?

People who are victims of relationship violence become conditioned to believe that there is nothing they can do to help themselves. SELF-ESTEEM: The person who is abusing them may have attacked their self-esteem to the point that they believe that they deserve the abuse or that they can’t make it on their own. FEAR: She may stay because she is terrified that he will become more violent if she leaves, or because he has threatened to harm her (retaliation) if she leaves. ECONOMIC DEPENDENCE: She may have limited resources such as a place to go, money, or family and friends to support her. LOVE: She may believe that she is in love. Other factors may include cultural factors, language barriers, and religious and familial pressure. The average woman in a domestically violent situation tries to leave the situation seven times before they are successful at leaving permanently. Support your friend and help her regain that feeling of hope and self-worth until she is able to make the break.

7. How can I help a friend if I find out about an abusive situation?

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