Listen to the Call:
Transcript:
THE TUCSON WOMAN’S CLINIC
1601 N. TUCSON BLVD. # 35
TUCSON, AZ 85716
520-321-4345
TAPE – 725
(Dialing, phone ringing 1x)
CLINIC: Good afternoon, Tucson Women’s Clinic.
CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I was calling to see if you guys do abortions there.
CLINIC: Yes, we do.
CALLER: Well, do you know how much it cost for that?
CLINIC: Well, it would depend on how far along you are in your pregnancy. Are you calling for yourself?
CALLER: Yeah.
CLINIC: Could I get just your first name?
CALLER: It’s Lisa.
CLINIC: Lisa. Hi, my name is Pat.
CALLER: Hi.
CLINIC: It’s just nicer to know the name of the person you’re talking to.
Lisa, can you tell me when your last period started?
CALLER: January 3rd.
CLINIC: Okay. So it’s about eight-and-a-half weeks now. And the first available appointment we have is around the 13th, so that would still be under 10 weeks. The price would be $275, as long as you get it done by the 11th week. There’s a $20 charge from the pharmacy for your medication. There’s a $30 charge if you have RH negative blood.
Do you know your blood type?
CALLER: No.
CLINIC: Okay. We’re going to test it. Have you ever had a baby?
CALLER: No.
CLINIC: Okay. Generally, that’s when you find out if you have this special type of blood.
CALLER: Oh.
CLINIC: Have you ever had any pregnancies?
CALLER: No.
CLINIC: The thing is, I’m going to be 14 next month, and my friend told me that you guys would have to tell my parents. But my boyfriend’s 22. Could he just sign for anything?
CLINIC: No, actually, it’s not your parents we have to tell; it’s CPS.
CALLER: Oh. Who is that?
CLINIC: Child Protective Services.
CALLER: Why do you have to tell them?
CLINIC: Well, that’s the law. It’s not legal for someone under 15 to be having sex, technically. And what they need to do is check out and make sure you’re not being abused.
CALLER: Well, I’m not. Me and my boyfriend are in love. We’re going to get married.
CLINIC: I understand that. And so they just have to check into it.
CALLER: But will they tell my parents?
CLINIC: No, I don’t think so. For us there’s a legal element in that we have to report it if you’re under 15. And if your boyfriend is more than two years older than you, we have to let them know about it.
CALLER: Oh. Well, what could happen?
CLINIC: How long have you been dating him?
CALLER: Huh?
CLINIC: How long have you been dating him?
CALLER: About a year.
CLINIC: Okay. Well, like I said, I think they just look into it and make sure that you’re not being molested.
CALLER: Well, no.
CLINIC: And there’s no way for us to do that. They have to talk to you. Usually I think all they do is put your name on a list so that if they get any other things during the next year, they can look into your welfare.
CALLER: Oh. I just haven’t had a pregnancy test yet. Do you guys do that there?
CLINIC: Uh-huh.
CALLER: Would you have to tell people about that?
CLINIC: The pregnancy test?
CALLER: Uh-huh.
CLINIC: No, I don’t think so. I think a pregnancy test is a confidential pre-pregnancy. But whether you decide to have a baby or whether you decide to have an abortion, it will be reported to CPS, even if you decided to continue the pregnancy.
CALLER: What if the pregnancy test showed that I wasn’t pregnant?
CLINIC: Then there’s nothing to report, is there?
CALLER: Well, I don’t know. If it showed that I wasn’t pregnant, could I get birth control so that we don’t have to worry about all this anymore?
CLINIC: Well, we don’t do birth control prescriptions here. What you would do then is you could go to Planned Parenthood or through your family doctor to get a prescription for birth control pills.
CALLER: But would they have to tell anybody?
CLINIC: No. It’s no illegal for you to get birth control. I know it’s really strange. It’s a stupid law in Arizona. But because it is the law in Arizona, we have to follow it. But in terms of you going to get birth control, no, they don’t have to report that.
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: Okay (laughing)?
CALLER: All right.
CLINIC: You might want to try talking to some people at the Archer (ph) Teen Center, because they’ll have all the ins and outs of it for you, and then can give you a referral regarding abortion if it turns out that you are pregnant. But it’s just more convenient for you to come to us and do the test.
CALLER: Yeah, it kinda is.
CLINIC: You can come in for a pregnancy test between 9 and 11:30 in the morning, and 1:30 to 4:30 in the afternoon.
Are you late for your period?
CALLER: Well, yeah. I haven’t had it since January 3rd.
CLINIC: Okay. Have you been having unprotected sex?
CALLER: Yeah.
CLINIC: Okay. Well, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re probably pregnant. And anytime you have unprotected sex you have about an 80 percent chance of becoming pregnant.
CALLER: Do you have the number for the teen center place?
CLINIC: I’m going to look it up for you. Will you hold on?
CALLER: Sure.
CLINIC: And it’s Lisa, right?
CALLER: Yes.
CLINIC: Hold on.
(Pause)
CLINIC: Sweetie, are you there?
CALLER: I’m here.
CLINIC: Actually, it’s Keno Teen Center. And that’s on Awhoe (ph), 2801 East Awhoe. It’s over by the ballpark. Do you know where the ballpark is over on Awhoe?
CALLER: Uh-huh, yeah. I think so.
CLINIC: And the number is 740-4600. And just as second. I believe that’s the one with mostly the teen services. Also I’m going to give you a number for Planned Parenthood to talk to them about their birth control services too. And I’m going to give you the number of the clinic up by Tucson Mall, because they might be able to tell you where they have something more convenient– 628-3071.
So if you want to get a pregnancy test, you can get one here or probably at one of those places. And then if it’s negative, then you can go on to get some birth control. If it’s positive, then we’ll deal with that when the time comes.
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: Okay? But, honey, I don’t want you to not do anything about a pregnancy just because you’re afraid of what’s going to happen. I believe that from what I understand they just look in to make sure that you’re not being molested by somebody
Do your parents know you’re dating this man?
CALLER: Huh?
CLINIC: Do your parents know that you’re dating this man?
CALLER: Well, yeah. I mean, he works with my dad. They just 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.
CALLER: So they just can’t find out.
CLINIC: Well, I think that we would have to get more information for you. It’s pretty unusual, I want to let you know, for someone your age to be already sexually active on a regular basis. And if you have a good relationship and the person is treating you kindly and properly, then that’s fine. But there are actually laws, and I’m sure your boyfriend’s aware of it, that he’s not suppose to be touching anybody under 18. And legally, if your parents decided — say you were to get pregnant, and you decided to keep the baby, there would possibly be some consequences in that, that he’s got to take responsibility for that.
What does he think about the fact that you think you might be pregnant?
CALLER: Well, we decided that we don’t want to have a kid right now. I mean, we want to get married and have kids later, but just not yet. I mean, he’s already got a son from his last marriage. But he just doesn’t want to have any more kids right now. I mean, he’s great with his son. He really loves him, and he takes care of him, and his son is just a sweetheart.
CLINIC: And don’t you think you’re a little young to get started? Do you want to have a baby yet?
CALLER: Not right now.
CLINIC: You told me you’re not quite 14?
CALLER: Right. I’ll be 14 on the 19th of this month.
CLINIC: So I really highly suggest that you get a pregnancy test right away, whether you come here or whether you go to one of those places. But I would talk to the Keno Teen people; find out exactly what your rights are. Okay?
CALLER: If I had any more questions, could I call and ask you?
CLINIC: Yeah. My name is Pat. I’m only here in the afternoon. And I’m the manager here. Yeah, I’d be real curious what they tell you too.
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: Okay, Lisa? But I’m not going to be calling your parents under any circumstance. That I don’t do. But the law does say that I have to notify Child Protective Services, and then they make a decision what to do about it. And I tell them — well, you say you’re having a sexual relationship with this person, then — I don’t believe they do anything. And that’s the way it works.
CALLER: Oh, okay.
CLINIC: Okay?
CALLER: All right.
CLINIC: But I would check that out with the Keno Teen Center just to be sure.
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: It doesn’t happen to us very often.
CALLER: Oh, all right.
CLINIC: But whatever you do, don’t do anything desperate, you know? You need to get good medical care under whatever circumstances. Planned Parenthood does have a counselor also. I think you need the number over there– 884-5562. Her name is Judy. She’s a counselor. And you might call over there and ask if you can have a counselor call you; that you have some questions. And she might be able to answer those questions better than I can.
CALLER: Oh, okay.
CLINIC: Okay?
CALLER: All right.
CLINIC: Thanks for calling, honey.
CALLER: Thanks.
CLINIC: Bye bye.
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