PLANNED PARENTHOOD
263 MAIN ST. # 203
OLD SAYBROOK, CT 6475-2326
860-388-4459

TAPE – 035

CLINIC: Planned Parenthood.

CALLER: Hi. I was wondering, do you guys do abortions there?

CLINIC: No, we don’t. Planned Parenthood does them at four centers– Hartford, New Haven, Norwich and Stanford. But generally, you need to come here first for your pre-abortion exam if you’re planning on having one. You need an exam done first. Certain tests need to be done, and we need to do a pelvic sizing.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: And you come here for that, and then go to the abortion center for your procedure.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Do you want to set up an appointment for that?

CALLER: I don’t know. I’d have to talk to my boyfriend about it.

CLINIC: Okay. All right. Are you sure you’re pregnant?

CALLER: Well, I’m pretty sure.

CLINIC: Have you done a home test?

CALLER: Yeah, I did one over the weekend, and it said it was positive.

CLINIC: How late is your period?

CALLER: Well, I’m not real sure.

CLINIC: Okay. Well, it’s important for you to understand that if you are pregnant, the sooner you get to us the better. That gives you usually more options for procedures that you can have done. And it’s just easier, safer and less expensive if you have your procedure done on the early side rather than the late. So time is an issue. So as soon as you talk to him, you should want to get someplace to call and set up an appointment.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: I think my last period was before Christmas or so. It’s probably like maybe the first week in December.

CLINIC: The first week in December?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Well, this is just rough. And the only way to know for sure is to do a pelvic sizing. But the first week in December, you’re probably somewhere eight or nine weeks. Because a pregnancy is not measured from the date you actually become pregnant; it’s measured from the first day of your last normal period. So that’s an important thing that a lot of people don’t understand. So if it was the first day —

(Beep sound; call disconnected)

(Dialing, phone did not ring)

CLINIC: Good afternoon, Planned Parenthood.

CALLER: Hi. Was I just talking to you?

CLINIC: No, you were talking to somebody else. But she’s gone now, so now I’m the only one here to talk to.

CALLER: The phone went dead. It was like loud, God.

CLINIC: I know you were talking about you’re pregnant.

CALLER: Yeah. I was wanting to get an abortion, and I was asking questions about it. We were talking about when my last period was.

CLINIC: And when was it?

CALLER: I’m pretty sure it was the first week in December.

CLINIC: So even if I say it was December 1st, you’re like almost 10 weeks. You’re between 9 and 10 weeks right now.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: So depending on what you want to do, I wouldn’t want too long. If you definitely want to have an abortion, you should act pretty quickly. Because the prices change the longer — less than 12 weeks is cheaper than 12 to 14 weeks by $200.

CALLER: Well, how much is it like —

CLINIC: Like $415 less than 12 weeks. Have you ever had one before?

CALLER: No. My friend told me that I have to tell my parents before I can go through with it. Is that true?

CLINIC: No, that’s not true.

CALLER: I don’t have to tell anyone at all?

CLINIC: No, you don’t. It’s not required to tell — it’s not something you have to tell you parents in Connecticut. It’s something that you may want to tell them so they can support you and help you with all this.

CALLER: I can’t tell my parents at all.

CLINIC: Okay. Well, then you don’t have to. Do you have a way of getting to the — how old are you?

CALLER: I’ll be 14 in March.

CLINIC: Oh, okay. So you’re 13 now?

CALLER: Yes.

CLINIC: You may have to tell your parents.

CALLER: Really?

CLINIC: I don’t think you do, but —

CALLER: Because I can’t tell my parents. My boyfriend’s 22, and we’re planning to get married. But they hate him, and they think he’s too old for me. But there’s no way they can find out that we’re having sex. I would get in big trouble.

CLINIC: Yeah, because actually he can be arrested and go to jail.

CALLER: What?

CLINIC: Because you’re a minor. I mean, he’s having sex with — I really have to tell you this. He’s having sex with someone who’s under 16, and he’s much older. And if it’s two years difference in age, he can be arrested for rape.

CALLER: But we’re in love. We’re getting married.

CLINIC: Yeah, but that’s the law in Connecticut because the age difference is really big between the two of you. I mean, it’s the law. I’m just telling you what the law is, just so you know. And he should know that too.

CALLER: What can happen to him?

CLINIC: He can literally go to jail. He can be arrested for rape because it’s a law in Connecticut. If someone’s having sex with someone who’s under 16, and the age difference is greater than two years, then it’s against the law.

CALLER: Okay. What can I do?

CLINIC: Where do you live?

CALLER: I live in Hamburg.

CLINIC: In Hamburg?

CALLER: Uh-huh.

CLINIC: Why don’t you call Norwich Planned Parenthood. And don’t tell them how old your partner is, just because I’m not sure what they have to do. Tell them that you’re 13, and just tell them that you’re pregnant and you want an abortion. And I think that at this point they will probably — I think you may just be able to go in for a one-day thing. Because tell them also how far along you are, and see what they tell you. And if you have to call back here to have a sizing, we can do that. Otherwise, you can just call us up and schedule that and then go to Norwich.

CALLER: And you still wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: No. I don’t think so, but they’ll tell you. I mean, you can ask them if you have to tell your parents. Because see, they do them at their office, and we don’t here. That’s why I’m not a hundred percent sure. But I definitely know the situation between the age difference of you and your boyfriend. So I wouldn’t mention that at this point. I would just say that you’re your age, and you’re pregnant, and do you have to tell your parents.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: And let me give you their number so you can call them right now.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: They may be closed for a meeting, but I think they’re probably open. Their number is 889-5211. Give me a call back if you want to.

CALLER: What was your name?

CLINIC: My name is Susan.

CALLER: Susan?

CLINIC: So you can call and ask for me if you want to talk to me.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: And otherwise call Norwich and see what they say. And just say do you have to tell your parents. I don’t think you do.

CALLER: Say I’m not pregnant, like I did the test weird or something?

CLINIC: Did you do it? Oh, okay.

CALLER: I thought I did it right. But what if I wasn’t pregnant, could I get birth control or whatever?

CLINIC: Absolutely.

CALLER: And no one would have to know or anything?

CLINIC: No. You don’t have to tell your parents that.

CALLER: Okay. Not anybody?

CLINIC: Even if you are pregnant and have the abortion, you’d get birth control right afterwards. They tell you how to start it right then, so you wouldn’t have to worry about this situation.

CALLER: And they wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: No, you don’t have to tell your parents, not for birth control in Connecticut.

CALLER: Anybody at all?

CLINIC: Any age. Yeah, we have patients that are your age, and you don’t have to tell.

CALLER: But they wouldn’t have to tell anybody like even —

CLINIC: Like who?

CALLER: Like besides my parents or anything?

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: Not at all?

CLINIC: It would depend on who you told. Because sometimes people come in here and say, you’re not going to tell anybody that I’m here, right? We don’t tell anybody that you’re here. But if you tell five of your friends, one of them might blab. That’s how the word gets out. Believe me. It never gets out from us ever. Even if you come here and you know someone, we can’t talk about anybody outside of this office. Okay? And we don’t really. We really, really don’t. That’s why we want people to come because our services are confidential. Even if your parents call here asking information, saying I know she came there, we don’t give any information out at all.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: And that’s true of all the Planned Parenthoods.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: So call Norwich and see what they say, and then you can call me back if you’re having a problem, okay?

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: All right.

CALLER: Thank you.

CLINIC: Yep. Bye bye.

CALLER: Bye.

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