PLANNED PARENTHOOD
615 N 2ND AVE W
NEWTON, IA 50208-3015
641-792-1012

TAPE – 118

(dialing sounds) (ringing 2X)

CLINIC: Planned Parenthood’s Newton Center. This is Sara. May I help you?

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

CLINIC: No, we don’t here in the Newton Center. They do in Des Moines, Iowa City and the Quad Cities and Sioux City.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Des Moines would be the closest.

CALLER: Well, do you know if they would have to tell my parents before I could have an abortion?

CLINIC: Well, how old are you?

CALLER: I’ll be 14 in March.

CLINIC: Your parents would be notified. They do not need your consent unless you go through judicial bypass.

CALLER: Okay. How would I get judicial bypass?

CLINIC: Well, have you had a positive pregnancy test, first of all?

CALLER: Well, I took a home pregnancy test over the weekend and it was positive.

CLINIC: Okay. Basically there’s a phone number that I would, either I could give you or the people in Des Moines could give you for the, I believe it’s for the Youth Law Center.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: And they would set up, help you get judicial bypass set up.

CALLER: Okay. Would they have to tell my parents or anything?

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: Okay. The thing is, like they can’t tell my parents because my boyfriend’s 22, and we’re planning on getting married, but like they, my parents hate him because they think he’s too old.

CLINIC: Um-hum.

CALLER: But that’s why they can’t find out, so.

CLINIC: Okay.

CALLER: Do you know if like — does like the judge ever say no or anything?

CLINIC: I think that what they do is probably steer you to a judge that is much more understanding.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: So that’s my impression of the, how the situation works. You, like I say, you could either call the Des Moines center directly, or you could come in and I could give you some information. It would probably be a good idea if you had the pregnancy test repeated at one of the Planned Parenthood clinics, and you know we could either do that today or Friday or Monday. I mean, it doesn’t have to be done today.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: And then I could give you that phone number and —

CALLER: If the judge said no, what could I do?

CLINIC: Well, I don’t think I’d worry about that at this point. You know, I don’t, I really don’t think that’s usually a problem.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: So. I don’t usually deal with this because, you know, we don’t offer the surgery here at our center. So the Des Moines center is usually the one. Do you live here in town?

CALLER: I live in Prairie City.

CLINIC: Okay. Is it easier for you to get into Des Moines or here?

CALLER: Well, I don’t, I don’t know. I —

CLINIC: Could your boyfriend take you into Des Moines?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Okay. I guess since you’re going to end up there anyway it would probably be just as easy for you to go to Des Moines to get your pregnancy test done and get the information about the judicial bypass and get that all set up because most of that is in Des Moines anyway.

CALLER: Okay. Do you think my boyfriend’s too old for me?

CLINIC: Well, that’s really not for me to decide.

CALLER: Oh, all right.

CLINIC: But do you want the number for the Des Moines center so you can give them a call?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Okay. It’s 515-280-7002.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: I think they’re only open until 5:00 tonight.

CALLER: Okay. Do you guys like do birth control there?

CLINIC: Yes, we do.

CALLER: Okay. And would you guys have to tell my parents about that at all?

CLINIC: Nope.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Nope, we don’t.

CALLER: No one would have to know that I’m on birth control?

CLINIC: Nope. Not unless you tell them.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: What they’ll do is, after an abortion is done they usually try to make sure that you start on some type of birth control.

CALLER: Okay. Does anyone there have to know about my boyfriend or anything?

CLINIC: Anyone where, in Des Moines or here?

CALLER: Like for birth control?

CLINIC: No. That’s something that’s between you and your clinician.

CALLER: Okay. Would he be able to pick them up though if he had to?

CLINIC: If you want him to, yeah. You could write his name down and your information, and then he’d be able to pick them up for you.

CALLER: Okay. If he had questions, could I call you back?

CLINIC: Um-hmm.

CALLER: What was your name?

CLINIC: My name’s Sara.

CALLER: Okay. All right. Okay.

CLINIC: All right?

CALLER: Thanks.

CLINIC: Uh-huh. Bye bye.

CALLER: Bye.

(phone clicks)

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