PLANNED PARENTHOOD HEALTH SERVICES OF NORTHEASTERN NY
135 WARREN ST
GLEN FALLS, NY 12801
518-792-0994

TAPE – 805

(Dialing, phone ringing 2x)

CLINIC: Good afternoon, Planned Parenthood. Can you hold?

CALLER: Well, do you guys do abortions there?

CLINIC: We do.

CALLER: Okay. Well —

CLINIC: You need to start out with having a pregnancy test done here first.

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

CLINIC: That’s something that the counselor would explain to you when you come in for the pregnancy test.

CALLER: Well, I just need to know how much to bring though.

CLINIC: For the pregnancy test itself?

CALLER: Right.

CLINIC: Do you have insurance?

CALLER: No, but my boyfriend said that he would pay cash for everything.

CLINIC: Okay. Figure in the area of 20-$25 just to be on the safe side. Everything here is based on a sliding scale, so I really can’t give you an exact amount until you’re actually here.

CALLER: Well, the thing is, I’m going to be 14 later on this month, and my friend told me that you guys would have to tell my parents. But my boyfriend’s 22.

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: Could he just take care of it, and you wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: What I’m going to do is take your first name. I’ll have a counselor talk to you in a few minutes, okay?

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Can you hold on?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: What’s your first name?

CALLER: Lisa.

CLINIC: Lisha?

CALLER: Lisa.

CLINIC: Lisa?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Have you ever been here for a visit?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: No? Okay. Hold on.

(Short pause)

CLINIC: (Unclear) Can I help you?

CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I just had some questions about getting an abortion.

CLINIC: Okay. What can I do for you? I can help you in that.

CALLER: Well, I’m going to be 14 later on this month, and my friend told me 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: Okay. Everything is confidential here. The only thing is, if you’re 14, we probably have to try to set you up in our Schenectady office.

CALLER: Well, the other lady said that I was like nine weeks. I’m going to be 14 years old later on this month. And my boyfriend’s 22, and he said that he would take care of everything. But we don’t want anyone to know about us. If he was paying cash for everything, would he have to sign anything and have his name on any forms?

CLINIC: Let me just ask, okay? Hold on.

(Pause)

CLINIC: You have to have a pregnancy test appointment. Let’s see —

CALLER: Well, I just really wanted to know if you would have to say anything to anybody about my boyfriend though.

CLINIC: I don’t know you. I’m not a counselor.

CALLER: Well, who could answer that?

CLINIC: A counselor can. The only thing is they’re with a patient. I mean, you can come in and talk about that if you want.

CALLER: Well, I didn’t want to come in if you guys would say stuff about him.

CLINIC: Okay. Hold on, okay?

CALLER: Okay.

(Pause)

CLINIC: I’m so sorry. They’re still busy with a patient. What I could do is I can make you an appointment with a counselor, to talk to her and do a pregnancy test. (Unclear) about that, and then you —

CALLER: Well, I need to know before I — I don’t want to come in without knowing.

CLINIC: Okay.

CALLER: My friend said that you guys would have to tell.

CLINIC: Your parents? No, I don’t think so.

CALLER: Well, I’m not talking about my parents. I don’t want anyone to know about me and my boyfriend.

CLINIC: That I don’t know anything about. Like I said, you need to come in and talk to a counselor about that. I’m not a counselor.

CALLER: I know, but — okay. So when can I call and talk to someone?

CLINIC: If you just come in for a pregnancy test —

CALLER: But I don’t want to come in until I know the answer.

CLINIC: Okay. I don’t know if they can give you an answer until you actually have a test with them.

CALLER: Oh. So they can’t answer if they have to talk about my boyfriend until I come in for a pregnancy test?

CLINIC: Yeah, until you come in for a pregnancy test, yes.

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: Well, if I wasn’t pregnant, would you guys be able to give me birth control without telling anybody?

CLINIC: Oh, yeah. We can definitely give you birth control.

CALLER: But would you ask questions about my boyfriend?

CLINIC: Not on birth control I don’t think. I don’t know. See, I’m just front desk. So the next person you talk to can give you a lot more information than I can.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay? Do you think you are pregnant?

CALLER: Well, I just haven’t had my period since January 3rd.

CLINIC: Is it possibility that you’ve had unprotected intercourse?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: You have? Okay. I can bring you in March 11th at 11:00 for a pregnancy test.

CALLER: Well, I’d have to talk to my boyfriend to see.

CLINIC: Okay. You want to make that appointment now?

CALLER: Well, there’s no way that I could talk to someone on the phone?

CLINIC: Well, let me just see if you can talk to a counselor on the phone? She’s going to bring you in anyway for a visit. What’s your first name?

CALLER: Lisa.

CLINIC: Okay. Hold on.

(Short pause)

CLINIC: What’s your name again?

CALLER: Lisa.

CLINIC: And your last name?

CALLER: Carter.

CLINIC: Car-ter?

CALLER: Yes.

CLINIC: Are you a patient with us?

CALLER: No, I haven’t ever been there.

CLINIC: You’ve never been here.

CALLER: That’s why I was wanting to ask questions first.

CLINIC: Okay. Hold on.

(Short pause)

CLINIC: Hi, this is Candace (sp). I’m a pregnancy and HIV counselor.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: You need to come in for a pregnancy test.

CALLER: Oh, okay. Well, my name was actually Lisa.

CLINIC: Lisa?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Did you have a home pregnancy test?

CALLER: No. I didn’t know if those were right.

CLINIC: Okay, okay. Basically, what exactly is going on?

CALLER: The thing is, I haven’t had my period since January 3rd. And I was talking to my friend. And I’m going to be 14 later on this month. She said that you guys would have to tell my parents. But my boyfriend’s 22. He said he would take care of everything. Would that be all right?

CLINIC: Well, let me just say that all of your services here are confidential as far as not giving information to your parents if they were to call.

CALLER: Would you have to give information to anyone else?

CLINIC: Well, there is certain information that is reportable to the state.

CALLER: What do you mean?

CLINIC: Well, there’s just certain things that have to be reported to the state if it were brought to a counselor’s attention.

CALLER: Well, like what?

CLINIC: (Pause) I don’t know. Nothing specifically. Why don’t you come in first, and then we’ll talk.

CALLER: But I just wanted to know this before I came in .

CLINIC: Okay, Lisa. It sounds like you need some help with what’s going on.

CALLER: Well, yeah. I’m really scared.

CLINIC: Okay.

CALLER: But I just don’t want anyone to know about me and my boyfriend.

CLINIC: Oh, I understand that.

CALLER: We love each other. We’re going to get married. He just has to get finished with college, and we can’t have a kid until then. So I can’t be pregnant right now. But my friends said that you guys would have to tell my parents and tell on him.

CLINIC: Right, right. Well, that is state law. Your parents wouldn’t be contacted directly, but that is something that is reportable by law.

CALLER: I’ve never heard that until you told me.

CLINIC: Okay. (Pause).

CALLER: What should I do?

CLINIC: I mean, if you are pregnant and you need help with that, you still need to come in.

CALLER: Okay. But you would get my boyfriend in trouble?

CLINIC: (Pause) Not necessarily.

CALLER: Well, how would he not be in trouble then?

CLINIC: Well, it would just — can you hold on a second?

CALLER: All right.

(Pause)

CLINIC: Anywhere you go in the state, that’s something that’s reportable by law. So regardless of where you go, it’s going to be something that’s going to have to be addressed. You know what I’m saying?

CALLER: So if I say anything about my boyfriend anywhere, he would have to be reported?

CLINIC: If you’re going to mention age differences, yeah.

CALLER: Okay. So what should I do then?

CLINIC: What do you want to do with the pregnancy?

CALLER: Well, I don’t want to have the baby. We can’t have a baby right now.

CLINIC: Okay, okay. That’s fine. But just know that wherever you go, certain information is reportable. If you tell information to a person that you’re talking to, most people that work in this field are mandated by the state to report that information.

CALLER: So should I just not talk about it?

CLINIC: You are a minor.

CALLER: Well, should I just not talk about it?

CLINIC: That’s your decision.

CALLER: So because I’m a minor, I can’t get an abortion?

CLINIC: No, you can have an abortion. You’re the age of consent for that. But when you start saying things about your relationship and the age difference between you and your boyfriend, that’s something that’s reportable.

CALLER: But we were all talking about it, and that’s why I wanted to know. He was going to pay for everything though. So how can I do this?

CLINIC: Well, you don’t have — I mean — I don’t know. I can give you some referrals to call. I mean, you’ve already told me. I’m not sure —

CALLER: So I can’t come to you then?

CLINIC: — what the parameters are of that. To be honest, you can, but I can’t promise that it wouldn’t be reported.

CALLER: Okay. So I need to go someplace else then. Where else should I go then?

CLINIC: Let me get some referrals for you. Can you hold on a second?

CALLER: Yeah.

(Pause)

CLINIC: Somebody helping you?

CALLER: I don’t know who I was talking to, but she was going to get referrals.

CLINIC: Okay. And your name?

CALLER: Lisa.

CLINIC: Oh, okay. Hold on. You were talking to the counselor, right?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Okay. Hold on.

CALLER: What was her name?

CLINIC: I’m sorry?

CALLER: What was her name?

CLINIC: Candace.

CALLER: Oh, all right. Okay. Thanks.

CLINIC: Hold on. I didn’t know if you were just another hold.

(Pause)

CLINIC: Is it possible for you to call me back in about an hour or for me to contact you so that I can get you some good referrals?

CALLER: Well, yeah. I can call you in a little while.

CLINIC: Okay.

CALLER: But I just was wanting to know —

CLINIC: Give me about an hour because I do have other patients.

CALLER: Well, I was just wanting to know something else real quick. Are the home pregnancy tests usually right?

CLINIC: Yeah, usually. They’re very accurate.

CALLER: Well, if I took one of those, and it ended up that I wasn’t pregnant, could I come in there where you’re at and get some birth control?

CLINIC: Sure.

CALLER: It’s just me and my boyfriend don’t want to have to worry about all this again. But would anybody have to know if I was on birth control?

CLINIC: It’s all depending on how much you say. Okay?

CALLER: All right. So I could come in there for birth control, and it would be all okay.

CLINIC: As long as you’re not divulging information. You need to call me back in an hour. Okay?

CALLER: Okay. All right. Okay thanks.

CLINIC: Bye.

CALLER: Bye.

(Tape D-805, Side B)

(Dialing, phone ringing 2x)

RECORDING: You have reached the Glen Falls Planned Parenthood at 792-0994. Our hours are Mondays, 8:30 until 6; Tuesdays, 10:30 until 4; Wednesdays, 9 until 6; Thursdays, 11:30 until 8; and on Fridays from 9 until 4:30. If this is an emergency —

CLINIC: — (Unclear).

CALLER: Yeah. She was busy. So she said to call back.

CLINIC: Okay. Hold on.

(Pause)

CLINIC: Lisa, she is in with a patient. Can I take your phone number and have her call you?

CALLER: Well, can I just call back.

CLINIC: Well, you can. But I’m not sure — you might run into the same situation. There’s no way she can call you when she’s free?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: Okay. And we leave here at 4:30. So if you don’t reach her, you’d have to try calling us on Monday.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: All right. Thanks.

CLINIC: Bye bye.

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