PLANNED PARENTHOOD
27 PLYMOUTH ST NW
LE MARS, IA 51031-3522
712-546-4030

TAPE – 195

(dialing sound) (ringing 2X)

CLINIC: Thank you for calling Le Mars Planned Parenthood. This is Nicki.

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

CLINIC: We don’t have abortion services available here. We do have referrals as far as where you can go though.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Are you needing those services or just need information about them, or —

CALLER: Well, I just have a lot of questions but I’m pretty sure I need to do this.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: What I’ll do, I can give you the Sioux City phone number. They would have more information for you.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: They do have abortion services available there so they can answer probably a few more questions than what I can. Are you calling long distance? Do you need an 800 number?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: Okay. Is Sioux City local for you?

CALLER: Yeah, it’s fine.

CLINIC: Okay. It would be 276-6290.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: And the staff there should be able to answer any questions. If you have any other questions too, certainly give me a call and I’ll try to help you out.

CALLER: Well, is it all right if I ask you now?

CLINIC: Sure.

CALLER: Well like, my main question is like is there like an age requirement or anything to have an abortion?

CLINIC: There is no age requirement. There is a state law that has — it’s called parental notification law for anyone that is 17 and under. What that is, is where they would need to contact a family member, usually I think it has to be like a parent or a guardian. Sometimes I think it can be like a grandparent possibly, but you’ll have to talk with them just to make sure that that’s up to date. But they just need to notify them somehow or —

CALLER: Is there any way not to do that? Because like my parents can’t find out at all. It’s just — the problem is, my boyfriend, he’s 22. And we’re in love, and we’re going to get married, but my parents hate him because they think he’s too old for me, and they just can’t find out at all.

CLINIC: Okay. There is one other way. It would have — it’s called judicial bypass where you would need to go in front of a judge and just let the judge know why you feel that you’re responsible enough and old enough that you can make this decision for yourself without your parents knowing.

CALLER: Would I need to get a lawyer for that?

CLINIC: There is a lawyer that would be assigned to you.

CALLER: Oh, all right.

CLINIC: So it would be — I don’t believe it’s any cost to you. It would be something that the county or the state wherever you would go would provide that lawyer with you.

CALLER: Like what if the judge said no?

CLINIC: Then you would have to have the parents notified.

CALLER: Oh. But does that happen a lot?

CLINIC: You know, it just varies from place to place. It depends on what judge you get. So, and I’m not familiar with how it’s been going around here. But the Sioux City clinic could tell you a little bit better on what you can do. We also have a staff attorney that you could talk to too if you have any questions.

CALLER: Well, is it okay if my boyfriend brings me to get like a pregnancy test?

CLINIC: Sure. You can come in. Yeah. You can come in on your own for just a pregnancy test if you’d like to or he can bring you. It doesn’t matter.

CALLER: Would anybody have to know that I’m getting a pregnancy test?

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: No?

CLINIC: All of our services are confidential. The parental notification thing is a state law that we need to follow, so that’s why we would need to follow that. But otherwise any other medical services that you would get here are completely confidential no matter how old you are.

CALLER: Like my boyfriend was also wanting to know like about birth control too. Do you guys do that?

CLINIC: Yes. Yes, we could talk to you about that. It’s — I mean, if you are considering having an abortion you might want to talk with the Sioux City clinic first because they would normally do all of that with you too anyway. So I mean, you might just save you a trip too, so you can talk with them and schedule that too. I mean, we could certainly do it here, but you know what I mean they’re going to want to do that when you, if you would go to Sioux City or whatever clinic that you would go to. They’d want to do that there too.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Are you from this area where Sioux City would be the closest for you, or —

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Okay, because I was going to say there is also Sioux Falls Planned Parenthood and there’s also a clinic in Omaha that we sometimes refer to as far as the closest locations to here anyway.

CALLER: Okay. If I was on birth control, would you guys have to tell anybody about that either?

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: That’s a service that is confidential.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: So is it all right if I like call you back or whatever?

CLINIC: Sure. Did I already give you the Sioux City number?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Okay. And I can give you their 800 number too. I don’t know if —

CALLER: That’s all right.

CLINIC: Okay. Okay. And they’re open until 5:00 today, so you could certainly call there and ask them any questions too.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: Thanks.

CLINIC: Uh-huh. Bye.

(phone clicks)

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