FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATES MEDICAL GROUP
MISSION HILLS, CA 91345
818-893-6949

TAPE – 715

(Dialing, phone ringing)

CLINIC: Family Planning Associates. Helen. How may I help you?

CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I was calling to see if you guys do abortions there.

CLINIC: Yes, we do.

CALLER: Do you know how much they cost?

CLINIC: 350 for surgery, and it’s 425 for the abortion pill.

CALLER: Okay. The thing is, I’m going to be 14 later on this month —

CLINIC: Fourteen weeks?

CALLER: Fourteen years old. My birthday is on the 19th. But my friend told me that you guys would have to tell my parents.

CLINIC: We don’t have to tell anybody. No, that is not correct. But we do have to report it to Child Protective Services for anybody that’s under 13.

CALLER: Why?

CLINIC: That’s a law.

CALLER: Oh. Is there any way not to have to do that? What do you mean?

CLINIC: You’re under 13?

CALLER: Well, I’m 13 right now. I’ll be 14 on the 19th.

CLINIC: Okay. When was the first day of your last normal period?

CALLER: January 3rd.

CLINIC: And when did you want to do the procedure?

CALLER: I don’t know.

CLINIC: Ma’am, from the age of 13, it would be reported. If you are 14 on March 19th, you might want to wait until you’re 14 to come in then.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay? Because at that point, it will not be reported.

CALLER: Okay. Well, my boyfriend’s 22, and he said he would take care of everything. Would that make any difference?

CLINIC: That makes it even worst if your boyfriend’s 22 and you’re 13.

CALLER: Why?

CLINIC: Hold on, please.

(Pause, music playing)

CLINIC: Just so you understand, legally, if you’re 13 years there’s something called statutory rape. It’s sexual assault. That’s what it’s considered.

CALLER: But he’s not raping me. I mean, we’re in love. We’re going to get married. He said he’s going to take care of me forever.

CLINIC: Would you listen to me, ma’am? I’ll just explain it to you. This is the legal law, a California law. It has nothing to do with us, or what we believe, or if you’re getting married or any of that. So legally we would have to report it to the authorities. That’s just so you understand, okay?

CALLER: So what can I do then?

CLINIC: At that point, they’ll come to your house. They’ll probably send a social worker to come investigate.

CALLER: What can I do so that they don’t do that?

CLINIC: You can’t, ma’am. If we know how old you are, then legally we have a responsibility to inform the Child Protective Services because you’re legally considered a child.

CALLER: But I’ll be 14 after the 19th.

CLINIC: Okay. But still there’s an age difference; 14 and 22, ma’am, still falls into that range. Okay?

CALLER: So what shall I do then? I don’t know what to do?

CLINIC: Do you want to schedule for an abortion, ma’am? I would have to take information. When you come in, just be aware that they would have to send that through California state. So they’d probably send a social worker or somebody to your home, somebody assigned to you, ma’am, to check on you. And they possibly will press charges. It’s not going to be anything that you want to or not. The state can take that upon themselves to do that at that time. You can call an attorney if you’d like, get some legal advice. But other than that I can only tell you what we would do here.

CALLER: Okay. Well, I haven’t had a pregnancy test yet. Do you guys do that there?

CLINIC: Yeah. The test is free, ma’am. You can walk in at any time. Just no children are allowed.

CALLER: But would you have to tell people then if I was coming in for a pregnancy test?

CLINIC: Not for a pregnancy test.

CALLER: Well, if turned out that I wasn’t pregnant, could I get birth control from you guys?

CLINIC: We’d have to schedule you for a pap smear. We could take care of that for you. Yes.

CALLER: Okay. But would anybody have to know if I was on birth control?

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: You can come in at any time. Why don’t you come in and take a test, and then we’ll go from there.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: But you promise you won’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: No, ma’am. Legally, I don’t have to tell anybody if you’re coming in for a pregnancy test.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: All right.

CALLER: What time do you normally do pregnancy tests?

CLINIC: We’re here until 4:30.

CALLER: Everyday?

CLINIC: Yes, ma’am.

CALLER: If I had any other questions, could I call you?

CLINIC: Of course.

CALLER: And what was your name?

CLINIC: My name’s Emily.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: All right?

CALLER: Thanks.

CLINIC: You’re welcome.

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