The nation's first medical outpatient service for teen-agers related to psychological and sexual health is slated to open for business on Saturday, March 2 at Beijing No. 2 Hospital.

Units set up to serve patients include departments of gynecology, maternity, urology, pediatrics and psychological counseling; and staff including 12 experts in teen-age physiology and psychology will take up their position here to provide patients with fair, confidential, friendly, warm, and understanding treatment.

Chen Yijun, a researcher with Chinese Academy of Sciences and expert in teen-age psychology, said: "If a teen-age girl has to face an abortion, the doctor's responsibility is not only to perform an operation but to help her face the situation with a positive attitude. This is a kind of ability beyond general medical treatment, and this is the real purpose behind this special outpatient service."

Patients benefiting from the outpatient service will be youths, between the ages 10 to 23, who are experiencing problems of adolescence in their lives. Consultations for psychological problems will be free except for the registration fee. A sliding scale will be available for those unable to pay the regular fee. The specific timetable for the service is as follows:

8 am to 12 am, 1 pm to 5 pm from Monday to Saturday;

5 pm to 8 pm on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

The consulting hotline is : 62865566 or 64412025

(北京青年报 February 27, 2002, translated by Feng Shu for china.org.cn)