PLANNED PARENTHOOD
23 MAIN ST.
COBLESKILL, NY 12043-1615
518-234-3325

TAPE – 417

(dialing sounds) (ringing 3X)

CLINIC: Good morning. Planned Parenthood.

CALLER: Hi.

CLINIC: Hi.

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

CLINIC: Not at this location. No. We do pregnancy tests. We do the surgical workups. We do everything but the procedure. That is done in Schenectady.

CALLER: In Schenectady?

CLINIC: Um-hum.

CALLER: Do you have that number?

CLINIC: I do. It’s 374-5353.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: Well, do you know — like I’m just scared because like my friend told me that like I’ll be 14 in March, and she said that they would have to tell my parents, but my boyfriend’s 22.

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: He’s 22. Is that old enough to take care of it?

CLINIC: No. First of all, they’re wrong. There is a complete confidentiality. Nobody has to know. And if I were you, I wouldn’t tell anybody that you’re 14 and your boyfriend’s 22.

CALLER: How come?

CLINIC: Because he could be subject to criminal charges.

CALLER: What do you mean criminal? What would happen?

CLINIC: You’re underage. You’re a minor. And he’s not. He’s — that’s called — it’s called statutory rape.

CALLER: What do you mean? He’s not raping me. I mean, we’re in love.

CLINIC: No, no. I am saying if somebody like in somebody, an older person, for instance your parents — if your parents were to ever find out, regardless of how consensual it is, they could have him arrested.

CALLER: He could go to jail?

CLINIC: Yeah. He is 8 years older than you. He is an adult. He is over the age of — he’s an adult and you are a minor.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Anyone under 17 is a minor.

CALLER: Oh.

CLINIC: And also, you know, so have you missed a period?

CALLER: Yeah. I haven’t had one since like the third week in december, and that’s why I’m scared.

CLINIC: You need to make a phone call and make a decision quickly because there is a 16-week cutoff. After 16 weeks Planned Parenthood will not do the procedure.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: And you’re there, because if you haven’t had a period since the third week in December then, you know, you’re there. You’re getting very, very close. And the procedures are booked three weeks in advance.

CALLER: Well, could I come in there for a pregnancy test?

CLINIC: You could come in here for a pregnancy test, yes.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: You have any kind of health insurance?

CALLER: Well, no. My boyfriend said he was going to pay for everything.

CLINIC: Okay, well, he needs to bring about $45. If he’s coming with you for the test —

CALLER: Is that all right?

CLINIC: He needs — yeah. He can. He needs to bring about $45 with him to pay for the test.

CALLER: It’s just, we were talking about this and like you said we didn’t want anyone to know about us. Would they be asking a lot of questions?

CLINIC: Well, that’s why he doesn’t want anyone to know about you because he knows that —

CALLER: He said it was just because he didn’t want me to get in trouble.

CLINIC: Well, yeah. (laughs) Of course he said that. He can come with you. We certainly are not going to file. You know, this is something that only like a family member or any other adult that decides to do that — an auntie, a friend of the family, anybody — just so you know — that’s because of his age and your age. You guys are, you know, just so you know, okay? Don’t go blabbing to all your friends. So, yes, come in here today. Come in here.

CALLER: Well, I’d have to call and see if he can get the time off work, but if it turned out that I wasn’t’ pregnant, could I get birth control there?

CLINIC: Yeah. But how often have you not had a period for three or four months at a time?

CALLER: Well, not often. I mean, never.

CLINIC: Never, so what are the chances that you’re not pregnant?

CALLER: I don’t know.

CLINIC: They’re pretty low.

CALLER: But if I wasn’t pregnant, could I get birth control though?

CLINIC: Yeah. Have you ever had a manual exam?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: Ever been to a gynecologist?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: All right. So call him.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Find out when he can bring you in and we’ll try to get an appointment made for a pregnancy test because you really have no time to waste. You really don’t. If this is what you think you’re going to do, then you have to get on the stick immediately; otherwise, you’re going to end up having to go to Long Island for the procedure.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Because 16 weeks is our cutoff, hon. All right? So call him, find out when he can get you in today, tomorrow sometime. Thursday we’re open until 7:00. But what I’d really need to do is have you come in on Thursday. Let me give you a time. All right? And you tell him and you know, don’t ask him, tell him that he needs to bring you here on Thursday at 1:00.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: So that we can get this thing going.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: You’ve been a lot of help. Thank you.

CLINIC: I hope so.

CALLER: What’s your name?

CLINIC: My name is Anna.

CALLER: Okay. Thank you.

CLINIC: Okay? All right. Bye.

CALLER: Bye.

(phone clicks)

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