PLANNED PARENTHOOD (AT HEALTH DEPARTMENT)
PO BOX 508
LINCOLN, IL 62656
217-735-4231

TAPE – 344

(Dialing, phone ringing 2x)

CLINIC: Logan County Health Department. May I direct your call?

CALLER: Yeah. I was wanting to get Planned Parenthood.

CLINIC: Okay. Hold on just a moment, please.

(Long pause)

(Phone ringing 2x)

CLINIC: It will be just another moment. Are you there?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Yeah. Hold on, please.

CALLER: Thanks.

(Pause)

(Phone ringing 1x)

CLINIC: This is Michele. Can I help you?

CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I was wondering if you guys do abortions there.

CLINIC: Here in Lincoln? No, we don’t.

CALLER: Do you know of anyplace that might?

CLINIC: Are you here in Lincoln?

CALLER: Well, I’m in Atlanta.

CLINIC: You’re in Atlanta. Probably the closest place would be in Peoria.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Would you like that information?

CALLER: Yes, please.

CLINIC: Okay. Hold on here and let me pull my folder. The name of the place is National Health Care. And their telephone number is 1-800-322-1622. And do you have any idea how far along you are?

CALLER: No, I don’t know. My last period was like December 14th.

CLINIC: They start at $350.

CALLER: Oh, okay. Well, my boyfriend said he would take care of everything.

CLINIC: If you’re interested, I do have a pamphlet that has like a map on it as to how to get there. It kind of tells you a little bit about what to expect and stuff. If you’re interested in coming in for that, you can let me know.

CALLER: Well, could I come in for a pregnancy test there?

CLINIC: Sure. Are you a Planned Parenthood patient?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: Okay. Then you can just walk in to the Health Department and have it done. We do it on a walk-in basis from 7:30 to 4:30, and there’s a $10 charge.

CALLER: Okay. Well, I’m just scared, because my friend told me that since I’ll be 14 in March that you guys have to tell my parents that I’m getting an abortion.

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: But my boyfriend’s 22. Is he old enough to take care of it, and you won’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: Yeah. No, we don’t have to tell anybody. And even though you’re only 14 it’s not required by law for them to release that information to your parents.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: In fact, if I were you, with him being 22 and you being 14, I would probably try to keep that pretty quiet.

CALLER: Okay. So don’t just —

CLINIC: Yeah, because of the age difference. I would not even bring that up to anybody, like when you go have the abortion. Because at age 14 I believe you are considered — you can sign for yourself to have it done.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: I’ve got something here in writing. It says, “The records of any minor who receives an abortion remain confidential from disclosure to a parent so long as the minor was entitled under state law to receive the abortion without parental consent.” And you are allowed to receive an abortion without parental consent. So according to the law they cannot release that information to your parents, okay?

CALLER: Well, is it all right — I want my boyfriend to be there with me. Is that okay if he’s there?

CLINIC: Yeah. That’s no problem with him there. But unless they say something about your age or something, I would not even bring that up to them. Just go in there assuming that you’re allowed to sign for everything and just kind of go from there.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay? Are you interested in this information at all?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Do you know when you’d be coming in?

CALLER: Well, I’d have to call him and see. But he was wondering after I get the pregnancy test, if it was negative, could we get on birth control real quick?

CLINIC: First of all, you do need to make an appointment and come in and have a complete physical exam and a pap. And right now we’re booking appointments probably about two weeks from now. That might be about the soonest that I could get you in.

CALLER: Well, does anybody have to know about any of this at all?

CLINIC: No, no. Uh-uh, uh-uh. Do you want me to leave this pamphlet up front or do you want to ask for it when you come in? What do you want to do?

CALLER: I’ll just ask for it when I come in.

CLINIC: Okay. That’ll be fine.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: All right?

CALLER: Thanks.

CLINIC: Uh-huh. Bye bye.

CALLER: Bye.