PLANNED PARENTHOOD
1642 PECK ST
MUSKEGON, MI 49441-2582
231-722-2928

TAPE – 570

(dialing sounds) (ringing 2X)

CLINIC: Planned Parenthood. This is Lee Ann(sp). How may I help you?

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

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: Oh.

CLINIC: No. We give information here on where a person can go to obtain abortion services.

CALLER: So I can ask you a question?

CLINIC: Sure.

CALLER: Okay. Well, I’m just worried about all this because — well, my friend told me — like I’ll be 14 next month and she said that you guys would have to tell my parents. But my boyfriend’s 22. Is he old enough to take care of it, and you wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: Well, do you know for a fact you’re pregnant?

CALLER: Well, no. I just haven’t had my period since like December 26, and I’m scared.

CLINIC: Okay. Well, not doing a pregnancy test is your mistake. You should do one of those before you go looking into an abortion.

CALLER: Oh. Well, could I come in there for that?

CLINIC: Yeah. If you want to come in. Are you able to come in now? I can run a pregnancy test for you.

CALLER: Well, I’d have to call my boyfriend to come and get me, but I think so.

CLINIC: Okay. I can run a test for you.

CALLER: How late are you guys there today?

CLINIC: You have to be — there is a law. You have to be an adult to make your own decisions. There’s only one other way I know of that you wouldn’t have to share that with a parent, and that’s to go in before a judge and have him say that you don’t have to tell your parents.

CALLER: Does he ever say that I have to tell my parents?

CLINIC: Well, there are judges that are set up specifically to help teens.

CALLER: Oh.

CLINIC: You know? To figure that out. So — but you don’t even know if you’re pregnant, hon, and you’re giving yourself extra worry before you even know the fact.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: You may not be pregnant. You may be freaking out and missing a period because you think you’re pregnant. You know what I mean?

CALLER: But I haven’t had my period since like the day after Christmas.

CLINIC: That doesn’t matter.

CALLER: Oh.

CLINIC: Just because you missed a period doesn’t, for a fact, mean you’re pregnant.

CALLER: Really?

CLINIC: Okay? You need to test.

CALLER: If I come in there for the test and I wasn’t pregnant, could I get birth control?

CLINIC: Not today, but we can make an appointment for you to get on birth control and have an exam and all that, but we can’t do that for you today. I can do the test. We don’t have a nurse here. So.

CALLER: Okay. Well, would anybody have to know that I was on birth control though?

CLINIC: No. That is a law in Michigan also that teens can seek birth control without their parents’ knowledge.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: How long does it take to do the pregnancy test?

CLINIC: Five minutes.

CALLER: Really?

CLINIC: Yep.

CALLER: Well, how late are you guys open today?

CLINIC: We’re here until 5:00.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: Okay? But I would come in, you know, before 4:00 if you could. We have stuff to do and other patients coming in, so.

CALLER: Okay. Well, my boyfriend and I were talking about all this, and he said that he would pay for everything, but we also decided that we didn’t want anyone to know about us. If he was paying, would he have to sign anything?

CLINIC: No, he doesn’t have to know. I mean, he doesn’t have to do anything. If he’s paying for it he just gives you the money, but as a minor, as a 14-year-old person, you have to either share this with your parent or go before the judge and have him say it’s okay. A parent has to sign saying it’s okay. It’s like any other surgery for you because you’re 14.

CALLER: Oh. Well, how much does it cost to go to the judge?

CLINIC: There is no charge for before a judge.

CALLER: Oh, really?

CLINIC: Okay? So we’ll talk about that when you come in.

CALLER: Well, would he tell my parents about this?

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: Oh. Okay.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: We’ll talk about it when you come in.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: What’s your name just so I can jot you down?

CALLER: It’s Lisa.a

CLINIC: Lisa?

CALLER: Uh-huh.

CLINIC: Okay.

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: See you later.

CALLER: Thanks.

CLINIC: Bye bye.

CALLER: Bye.

(phone clicks)

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