PLANNED PARENTHOOD
1055 COMMONWEALTH AVE
BOSTON, MA 2215-1001
617-616-1600

TAPE – 562

(dialing sounds) (ringing 2X)

RECORDING: Thank you for calling Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. (Spanish interpretation) If you are a patient of Planned Parenthood and having a medical emergency, please press 9. Listen carefully to the following options. For directions to the clinic, please press 2. For pill sale hours information, press 3. For medical abortion information, press 4. For HIV testing information, press 5. For pregnancy testing information, press 6. Please remain on the line and an appointment representative will be with you shortly. (music)

CLINIC: Planned Parenthood. Can I help you?

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

CLINIC: Yes, we do.

CALLER: Okay. Well, how much does that cost?

CLINIC: If you’re in the first trimester it’s $390 to $420.

CALLER: Okay. Well, how do you know what trimester you’re in?

CLINIC: Based on the first day of the last period you had.

CALLER: Oh. Well, that was like December 26.

CLINIC: So you’re still in the first trimester. Yeah, the surgical procedure is between $390 and $420.

CALLER: Okay. Well, is there any way that — like I’m just worried because like my friend told me — well I’m going to be 14 next month — and my friend told me that you guys would have to tell my parents I’m getting an abortion. But my boyfriend’s 22. Is he old enough to take care of it and you wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: No. The thing is, (unclear). You need someone over the age of 18 (unclear) state of Massachusetts you need consent, basically permission. We’d need that permission from either a parent or you would need to go through the judicial system.

CALLER: How do you go through the judicial system?

CLINIC: You could make an appointment with us and then we can transfer you over to counseling and referral, and they can get a lawyer for you and walk you through what the whole process would be.

CALLER: How much does all that cost?

CLINIC: That’s free. That’s a free service.

CALLER: Oh, okay. Well, do they ever say no?

CLINIC: The judges?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Very unlikely, but it would be the counselor that would be able to prepare you for anything like that.

CALLER: Oh, okay. Well, I just haven’t had a pregnancy test yet. Could I come in there and get one?

CLINIC: Yeah, you can have it done. We do pregnancy testing here.

CALLER: But would you have to tell my parents about that though?

CLINIC: No, we don’t.

CALLER: Oh.

CLINIC: Mondays and Fridays, 2:00 to 5:00 and Saturday 8:00 to 11:00.

CALLER: Okay. Well, does anybody have to know like — well — does anybody have to know at all about anything?

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: Okay. Well, if it ended up that I wasn’t pregnant, could I get birth control there?

CLINIC: Yep.

CALLER: Would you have to tell anybody about that though?

CLINIC: We wouldn’t have to tell your parents about that either.

CALLER: How much does birth control cost?

CLINIC: Are you a high school student?

CALLER: Well, yeah, sort of. Well, not yet.

CLINIC: Not yet?

CALLER: I’m homeschooled actually.

CLINIC: Okay, all right. Then it would be a $5 visit because you’re a student.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: And pills —

CALLER: Well, my boyfriend and I were talking about all this,a nd he said he would pay for everything. It’s just, we didn’t want anyone to know.

CLINIC: Yeah.

CALLER: About us.

CLINIC: Yeah.

CALLER: But if he was paying for everything, would he have to sign anything?

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: No. He doesn’t sign anything. Do you want to speak with a counselor?a

CALLER: Well, I don’t know. What was your name?

CLINIC: My name’s Diane.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: I think it might help because you have like a lot of different concerns.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: They might be able to help you out right now. Just hold on, okay?

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: (music) Hello?

CALLER: Hi.

CLINIC: Hi.

CALLER: I was talking to Diane, and she transferred me to you.

CLINIC: Okay. Would you hold on for one sec, please?

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: Thanks. (music) Hi. Okay. Sorry to keep you waiting.

CALLER: Uh-huh.

CLINIC: Okay, my —

CALLER: What was your name?

CLINIC: Nina.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: I’m the counselor, and I can help walk you through this process.

CALLER: Okay. It’s just, the reason why I’m worried about all this, like I was wanting to get an abortion, and my friend told me that since like I”m going to be 14 next month she said that you guys would have to tell my parents. But my boyfriend’s 22. Is he hold enough to take care of it and —

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: — you wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: No. And your parents don’t have to know. This is what happens. Either one of your parents has to give you permission, or we can hook you up with a lawyer who will take you to court and a judge will give you permission.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Your boyfriend can’t do anything but pay for it.

CALLER: Oh. Well, my parents can’t find out about this at all. I mean, I don’t want to tell them to actually ask for permission, so —

CLINIC: Okay. So I will go through some paperwork with you, and we’ll hook you up with a lawyer, okay?

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: My first question is, how old are you?

CALLER: I’m 13. I’ll be 14 next month.

CLINIC: Okay, and do you have an appointment for an abortion already?

CALLER: No. I just was wanting to get a pregnancy test just to make sure that I was pregnant.

CLINIC: Okay. How late is your period?

CALLER: Well, I haven’t had it since like December 26. So that’s why I’m really worried.

CLINIC: December 26 was your last period?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Are you sure?

CALLER: Uh-huh. It was just — it started right after Christmas.

CLINIC: December 26, so now it’s — okay. Well, that puts you around 9 weeks pregnant.

CALLER: Okay. Well, is it possible that I’m not pregnant?

CLINIC: Probably not. I mean, you would have missed all of January and February.

CALLER: Oh. All right.

CLINIC: This is the situation.

CALLER: Uh-huh.

CLINIC: I cannot hook you up with a lawyer until you have an appointment for an abortion.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: So first you have to make an appointment for an abortion.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: And then you have to call back and get hooked up with a lawyer who will take you to court. Now if you get the judge’s permission then you can have the abortion.

CALLER: Does the judge ever not give permission?

CLINIC: Only not. The judge wants to basically know that you understand your decision. So unless you —

CALLER: Me and my boyfriend have been talking about this, I mean, like a lot.

CLINIC: How old’s your boyfriend?

CALLER: He’s 22.

CLINIC: Uh-huh. And what does he think about it?

CALLER: Well, we just can’t have a baby right now. I mean, we decided that an abortion would be the best thing to do.

CLINIC: Uh-huh. Do your parents know that you have a 22-year-old boyfriend?

CALLER: Well, yeah. They know we’re going out, but they don’t know we’re having sex. I mean, if they found out about that I don’t know what they would do.

CLINIC: Uh-huh. How long have you been with him for?

CALLER: About like a year.

CLINIC: Uh-huh. And have you wanted to have sex?

CALLER: Well, yeah.

CLINIC: Uh-huh. Okay. You know, that’s a significant age difference.

CALLER: Well, what do you mean?

CLINIC: Are you in school? Well, I mean 21 is a lot older than 13 far as life experience.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Do you go to school?

CALLER: I’m homeschooled.

CLINIC: You’re homeschooled?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Okay, and what town are you in?

CALLER: I’m in Spencer.

CLINIC: Uh-huh. You’re going to have to probably come into Boston, you know, to come to court.

CALLER: Yeah. Well, he said that he would drive me and take care of everything.

CLINIC: Uh-huh. Okay. And what do you think your parents would respond if they knew? How do you think —

CALLER: I don’t know. They’d probably be like furious. I mean, they can’t find out at all. You guys wouldn’t tell them, would you?

CLINIC: No, we won’t tell them. I’m just asking you why you don’t want to tell them. I mean, it’s a big secret to be 13 and to have from your parents.

CALLER: Well, I mean, I don’t know. I mean, I don’t know what they would do if they found out. I just —

CLINIC: Have you ever talked about sex with your folks?

CALLER: Well, yeah.

CLINIC: Have you ever talked about if you got pregnant as a teenager what their feelings are? Do you know how they feel about abortion?

CALLER: Well, no. I mean, no. I don’t know.

CLINIC: Have you been using birth control?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: You’ve been having sex with this guy with no birth control?

CALLER: Yeah. That’s why we were wanting to come in and get birth control, just so that we don’t have to worry about all this anymore.

CLINIC: Uh-huh. Have you heard of condoms?

CALLER: Well, yeah.

CLINIC: Condoms are always a good thing to use because they can protect you from sexually transmitted diseases.

CALLER: Oh.

CLINIC: As well as pregnancy.

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Just from disease itself. Every time you have sex without a condom you’re risking your life to get, you know, any kind of a disease including possibly AIDS.

CALLER: Oh.

CLINIC: So after you get this pregnancy settled, you need to get very serious about birth control and condoms.

CALLER: Okay. Okay. Well — so if I came in there for a pregnancy test would —

CLINIC: Well, you could just buy a pregnancy test and do it at home. Don’t you have a clinic out there in Spencer? I mean, Spencer is sort of far from Boston, isn’t it?

CALLER: Well, I just don’t want anyone to see me. But do you know if the ones in the store are usually right?

CLINIC: Yeah, they are.

CALLER: Oh, okay. So I should take one of those instead of coming in there?

CLINIC: Yeah. I think that would be a lot easier for you.

CALLER: Oh. But if it said that I wasn’t pregnant, I could come in there and get birth control and you still wouldn’t have to tell anybody anything?

CLINIC: Right. Yes.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: But you are pregnant. I mean, it would be very unusual. How do your breasts feel?

CALLER: Fine.

CLINIC: They don’t feel any different?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: Well, you probably are pregnant. The thing is this that I want you to think about. If in fact the first day of your last period was December 25th?

CALLER: 26th.

CLINIC: If that is a fact, then you are almost 10 weeks pregnant, okay? And you want to have an abortion within the next two weeks to make your life much simpler.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay? That means that when you hang up with me you need to go out and buy a pregnancy test.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay? And then you need to follow the directions and do it properly.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay? When you get the results that confirm that you’re pregnant, you need to call back here, make an appointment for an abortion, and then ask to speak to a counselor.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Now, this should all be done by the end of the day today or tomorrow. I don’t know if the test is going to be first during the day or not. I don’t know what you’re buying. But if it’s not, then you can do it and be calling back here today. If it is, you should be calling back here by tomorrow. I won’t be here, but another counselor will be.

CALLER: Okay. Well, who should I ask for?

CLINIC: Ask for a counselor.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: But first make your appointment. First ask for an appointment person, make your appointment. Tell them you’re a minor, you’re making an appointment for an abortion, and then you need to speak to a counselor.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: And you need to have this whole process done by the end of tomorrow. And then we’re going to get you into court early next week and hopefully get you an abortion by Friday, otherwise early the next week.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: Now let me ask you a question. How are you going to — what are you going to use as an excuse to come in for the abortion, because they only do abortions in the morning?

CALLER: Well, I could say I’m visiting my friend.

CLINIC: Well, how long do you think it’s going to take for you to get from Spencer to Boston?

CALLER: I don’t know — like maybe 30 minutes.

CLINIC: Isn’t Spencer out Route 2?

CALLER: My boyfriend drives. I mean, I don’t know. We just moved here.

CLINIC: It’s going to take you at least an hour.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: So you’re going to have to leave your house 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: How are you going to tell that to your parents without them noticing that that —

CALLER: Well, I could just tell them I’m going to visit my friend, and I do that all the time. I mean, they’d be like, all right.

CLINIC: On a school day you leave your house to visit a friend?

CALLER: Well, I’m homeschooled, so — so.

CLINIC: Right.

CALLER: We do it just whenever is best.

CLINIC: You don’t have like specific hours that you’re expected to be doing school stuff?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: When do you typically do it? I’m just — I just want to get a sense.

CALLER: Just whenever is best for us that day.

CLINIC: And who do you do it with — your mom or your dad?

CALLER: My mom. My dad works.

CLINIC: Uh-huh.

CALLER: But sometimes we do it at night if we have to. I mean, if we’re doing something — if I have something to do in the morning, then we’ll do it at night, or whatever.

CLINIC: You don’t think your mom will think it’s weird that you’re getting together with a school friend early in the morning on a school day?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: Okay. See, that’s —

CALLER: I mean, we do that all the time.

CLINIC: You meet kids at 8:00 in the morning all the time on school days?

CALLER: Yeah. I mean, I have a lot of friends that are homeschooled, and we’ll just go hang out and, you know. Especially if it’s nice outside in the morning.

CLINIC: Uh-huh.

CALLER: Like we’ll go to like museums or whatever and —

CLINIC: Okay. Well, just so you know, try to make an appointment for like 10:00 so you’ll have a little bit of leeway to get here. You need to look at a map so you have a realistic sense of how long it’s going to take you to get here.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: You’re going to be driving in with traffic, so people coming in to Boston, so you have to assume it’s going to take at least an hour if not more.

CALLER: I gotta go. My friend’s mom is coming. I gotta go. Is that all right?

CLINIC: I guess so.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Call back by tomorrow.

CALLER: Okay. Bye.

CLINIC: Bye.

(phone clicks)

*** THE END ***

(dialing sounds)

RECORDING: Thank you for calling Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. (Spanish interpretation) If you are a patient of Planned Parenthood and are having a medical emergency please press 9. Listen carefully to the following options. For directions to the clinic, please press 2. For pill sale hours and information press 3. For medical abortion information, press 4. For HIV testing information press 5. For pregnancy testing information press 6. Please remain on the line and an appointment representative will be with you shortly.

CLINIC: Planned Parenthood. How many I help you?

CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I was talking to Nina.

CLINIC: Oh, okay. Hang on one second. (music)

CLINIC: Planned Parenthood counseling and referral.

CALLER: Hi. Yeah. Is this Dina or —

CLINIC: No, it’s Ruth. Can I help you?

CALLER: Well, I was wanting to talk to her. She — I had to hang up real quick.

CLINIC: Oh. You want to talk to Nina?

CALLER: Oh, okay. Just a second. Were you just talking with her?

CLINIC: Yeah.

CALLER: Okay. Just a minute. (music)

CLINIC: Hi. This is Nina.

CALLER: Hi.

CLINIC: Hi.

CALLER: I was calling back.

CLINIC: Okay. Tell me your name?

CALLER: It’s Lisa.

CLINIC: Lisa. Lisa, tell me something. Is Spencer close to Worcester or Springfield?

CALLER: Well, I’m not really sure. I think it’s closest to Boston more than anyplace else.

CLINIC: Let me just look on this map for a minute and find Spencer. What’s the nearest town? What’s a neighboring town to Spencer?

CALLER: We just moved her. Like we just moved here. So I don’t really know.

CLINIC: Okay. You are closest to Worcester.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: So you are going to get your abortion in Worcester.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: You’re still going to call this number to make your appointment, and we will still help you get a lawyer. But you’re going to make your appointment for Worcester because that will be a lot closer to you than coming all the way in to Boston.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay? I want to tell you a few more things that I want you to be thinking about, okay?

CALLER: Uh-huh.

CLINIC: After you have the abortion you’re going to have some bleeding for 10 days to two weeks, okay? You cannot use tampons. You have to use pads because you can’t risk getting an infection into your body. You’re also going to need to take an antibiotic, a prevention too.

CALLER: Okay. Where do I get that?

CLINIC: You’ll leave here with it.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: Where are you going to get the money to pay for this abortion?

CALLER: Well, my boyfriend said that he would pay for everything.

CLINIC: Uh-huh. Does he know how much it costs?

CALLER: Well, that’s why he’s — but he has an idea, but —

CLINIC: What’s his idea?

CALLER: Like $500.

CLINIC: Yeah. It will be a little less than that.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: But he can pay for the antibiotic also.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay. Now when you have the, afterward the bleeding and stuff, that’s often a place where, you know, your parents might, your mom might notice something’s up, so I’m just telling you this. It’s something to think about so that she won’t find out.

CALLER: All right. I could also say that I’m visiting a friend and go away for a little while.

CLINIC: You’re going to go away for 10 days?

CALLER: Well, I could. I just — I have a friend that lives in Concord, so I could go visit her for a little while.

CLINIC: Well, 10 days isn’t a little while.

CALLER: Well, I mean, I’ve done it before.

CLINIC: Well, you’ll have to make those decisions for yourself. I just think that —

CALLER: All right. So just make sure that, that —

CLINIC: I just want you to be aware of that.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: I mean, your friend’s mom could also become aware that you’re bleeding.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: You know? It’s not like the friend’s mom lives in a — you know.

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: People are aware.

CALLER: Should I call the people at Worcester?

CLINIC: What?

CALLER: Should I call the people in Worcestershire?

CLINIC: Well, we, our office is the one who will hook you up with the lawyer. And our office will be able to — you can book appointments in Worcestershire? Right? Yeah. You have to call Worcestershire to book the abortion and then call us back to hook you up with the lawyer.

CALLER: Well, should I get a pregnancy test there?

CLINIC: Yes.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Get a pregnancy test first. You can just go to the pharmacy still and buy it.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: Okay? Just go buy it and take it.

CALLER: Okay. Well —

CLINIC: If you want to go to Worcester to Planned Parenthood in Worcester you can call them and find out what their hours are.

CALLER: What’s their number?

CLINIC: One second. I’ll give it to you. Okay. It’s 508-854-3300. And let me give you an 800 number also. 800-539-2378.

CALLER: Do you know who I should ask for?

CLINIC: No. You should call and ask when you can walk in to take a pregnancy test.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: And you should —

CALLER: Do you know how much it would cost there?

CLINIC: Yes, it’s $10.

CALLER: Oh, okay. Well, would that be better then?

CLINIC: If it would make you feel better to walk in, take a test and have them tell you right then and there.

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Then that would be better.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: If you’re more comfortable with that.

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: You need to tell them where you are. You know, figure out how to get there.

CALLER: Okay. Well, Worcester’s real close, so, I think my boyfriend knows.

CLINIC: Uh-huh.

CALLER: So. But I have to call him to see when he can get off work to take me. But you sure Worcester’s real close to me, right?

CLINIC: Well, it’s closer than Boston.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: Boston’s a good hour. Worcester’s going to be, it’s two towns away.

CALLER: Okay. All right. Okay, so —

CLINIC: You need to explain to your boyfriend that you have to hurry up, that you do not have all the time in the world because after 12.5 weeks it becomes a more involved procedure.

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: And you don’t want to set yourself up for that.

CALLER: Okay. But I still need to go to Boston to see the lawyer?

CLINIC: No. Well, we’ll hook you up with a lawyer in Worcester now.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: So you’ll go to court in Worcester, you’ll get your abortion in Worcester. You’ll do it all in Worcester.

CALLER: Well, what if the judge says no?

CLINIC: Well, I don’t think that the judge will say no.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: What judge in their right mind thinks that a 13-year-old should be having a baby?

CALLER: Yeah. All right.

CLINIC: And God forbid if the judge said no you’d have to tell your parents.

CALLER: Yeah. Okay.

CLINIC: You know, I really think that since you’re homeschooled you need to bring this up with your parents in some way. You need to talk about sex, about abortion, about sexually transmitted diseases. You’re not getting all that education that everybody else is getting in school.

CALLER: Oh.

CLINIC: And you’re missing out on a lot to be 13 and to be sexually active and already pregnant once is a really big deal.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: You’re really high risk for a lot of abortions in your life if you don’t figure out a way to get this under control.

CALLER: Okay.a

CLINIC: You need to get some serious birth control going in your life.

CALLER: Okay. All right.

CLINIC: I’m really serious. This is a big, big deal.

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: It’s not like just you and your boyfriend got pregnant, oh so what. You know, he’s 21. He’s having sex with you without birth control. That is about as irresponsible as a person could be.

CALLER: Oh. All right.

CLINIC: Okay? You’re putting your health at risk and your whole self at risk.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: So call Worcester now and see when you can walk in for a pregnancy test.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: And then you need to make an abortion appointment, and then you need to call us back, and we’ll hook you up with a lawyer.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: All right. This is — time is important.

CALLER: Should I call and ask for you though?

CLINIC: No. I won’t be here after 12:00 today. It doesn’t matter who you ask for. Every counselor can help you with the lawyer.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: All right?

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: Okay.

CALLER: Thank you.

CLINIC: Good luck. Bye bye.

(phone clicks)

*** THE END ***