PLANNED PARENTHOOD
907 W TOWNLINE ST
CRESTON, IA 50801-1126
641-782-8244

TAPE – 186

(dialing sounds) (ringing 2X)

CLINIC: Hi. This is Deb at Planned Parenthood’s Creston Center. How may I help you?

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

CLINIC: No, I’m sorry. We don’t. We would need to refer you to one of our centers, either in Des Moines or Iowa City.

CALLER: Okay. Do you have that number?

CLINIC: Sure. Do you want the number for Des Moines?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Okay. The number, they have an 800 number. It’s 1-800-568-2404.

CALLER: Okay. Do you know — like my friend told me that you guys have to tell my parents before I can have an abortion. Is that true?

CLINIC: Are you under 18?

CALLER: I’ll be 14 in March.

CLINIC: Okay. Well, the state of Iowa requires that parents be notified, parent or grandparent be notified. But if you’re unable to do that, if you don’t have anybody you can notify and you don’t feel that you can notify —

CALLER: Yeah. There’s no way that they can find out. Because my boyfriend’s 22, and we’re planning on getting married, but like they hate him because they think he’s too old for me. So they can’t find out at all.

CLINIC: Okay. What you’d need to do then is, you do have the option of going before a judge, going through the court system.

CALLER: Okay. Do I need like a lawyer for that?

CLINIC: Well, no. What they do, when you call Des Moines what they’ll do is, they’ll hook you up with the Youth Law Center, and they provide representation for you. It doesn’t cost you anything.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: You’re a minor. But what I would do is call Des Moines first and tell them your situation, and they’ll get you hooked up with who you need to talk to.

CALLER: What if the judge says no?

CLINIC: Well, they don’t usually.

CALLER: Oh, all right.

CLINIC: — experiences, they usually approve them.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: So like I say, I would just give Des Moines a call and they’ll kind of work with you from there.

CALLER: Do you think it would be all right like if my boyfriend took me to the court and was there with me?

CLINIC: I don’t know. Like I say, that would be something I would ask them at the Youth Law Center when they had you call there.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: They can advise you what would be the best way to handle that.

CALLER: Okay. Do you guys do the pregnancy tests there?

CLINIC: We could do the testing. Yeah. We could do the pregnancy test here, and —

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

CLINIC: No, that’s strictly confidential.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: That doesn’t require that parents know about that.

CALLER: Would my boyfriend be able to bring me and everything?

CLINIC: Yeah.

CALLER: And you guys wouldn’t have to tell anybody about him either?

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: I mean, like I say, I don’t think — we could do the pregnancy test. That would be confidential.

CALLER: Okay. My boyfriend was also wondering about birth control. Do you guys do that there?

CLINIC: Yes, we do. We can’t provide you birth control if you’re already pregnant.

CALLER: Oh. Well —

CLINIC: Do you think you are?

CALLER: Well, I think so.

CLINIC: But you’re not sure yet? Have you done a home test or anything?

CALLER: I did one over the weekend.

CLINIC: Was it positive?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Oh, okay. Yeah, you would not be able — like I say, you’d have to get that after you’re had, you know, had had an abortion. Then you could get birth control.

CALLER: Oh. But you guys —

CLINIC: We can’t give you birth control if you’re pregnant already.

CALLER: Oh. Well, is it all right like if he picked up the pills and everything?

CLINIC: Picked up what pills? Birth control pills?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Yeah. I mean, if you’re not pregnant and you want to get an exam, we can make an appointment to do that. Do you want to schedule an appointment?

CALLER: Well, I’d have to call —

CLINIC: You can’t get birth control pills without getting an exam and have somebody give you instructions on and stuff.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: As for the boyfriend, you’d have to come in and be seen.

CALLER: But you guys wouldn’t have to tell anybody about birth control or anything?

CLINIC: No. No. The only time that it’s required that parents be notified is when a minor wants an abortion.

CALLER: Okay. So let me call my boyfriend and see when he can get off work. But is it all right if I call back?

CLINIC: Yeah. You can call back. Sure.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay.

CALLER: Thanks.

CLINIC: Bye.

CALLER: Bye.

(phone clicks)

***THE END***