PLANNED PARENTHOOD
3958 N ACADEMY BLVD # 108
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80917-5911
719 / 573-8880
TAPE – 335
(dialing sounds) (ringing 1X)
CLINIC: Good afternoon. Planned Parenthood. This is Madonna. May I help you?
CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I was wondering if you guys do abortions there?
CLINIC: No, we don’t. The Planned Parenthood Services Corp. on West Colorado does them.
CALLER: Okay. Do you have that number?
CLINIC: Yep. It’s 475-7162.
CALLER: Okay. Well, could I ask you a quick question?
CLINIC: Sure.
CALLER: It’s just, my friend told me that — like I’ll be 14 in March — she said that you guys have to, or that they would have to tell my parents. But my boyfriend’s 22. Could he just take care of whatever that is?
CLINIC: How old are you?
CALLER: I’ll be 14 in March.
CLINIC: So you’re 13 right now?
CALLER: Yeah.
CLINIC: And you’re with someone who’s 22?
CALLER: Uh-huh.
CLINIC: Hmm. Okay. You can go — the law in Colorado is there is no parental consent law when it comes to your reproductive health.
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: So you can certainly go in and schedule — they’ll want to talk to you directly.
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: You can schedule an appointment to go in and you can certainly have the procedure done. They will make that appointment for you. Um. But when it comes to an emergency contact when you filling out a chart?
CALLER: Yeah.
CLINIC: Emergency contact has to be a parent.
CALLER: Oh.
CLINIC: They won’t contact them unless there’s an emergency.
CALLER: Like what kind of emergency?
CLINIC: Well, any kind of emergency. If they have an emergency situation with you while you’re in the center that they have to call an ambulance to send you to the hospital?
CALLER: Yeah.
CLINIC: They have to contact your parents.
CALLER: Really?
CLINIC: Yep.
CALLER: Well, could it be my boyfriend’s address and phone number?
CLINIC: No. It has to be a parent.
CALLER: Oh.
CLINIC: But, I mean, they don’t anticipate any problems.
CALLER: Oh, okay.
CLINIC: It’s a just-in-case thing. It’s a just-in-case thing.
CALLER: Well, would you guys — would you guys have to tell my parents about my boyfriend?
CLINIC: Um. Tell them about your boyfriend?
CALLER: Yeah.
CLINIC: I don’t believe they’re going to tell them about your boyfriend, but the —
CALLER: It’s just, they don’t know we’re having sex. Like they know him, but they just aren’t — they don’t like him a whole bunch. But they don’t know that we’re having sex at all.
CLINIC: Yeah.
CALLER: And I don’t know what would happen if they found out.
CLINIC: Yes. Well, you know, that’s where, you know, the law area is really gray for me, and I don’t know the answer to that question.
CALLER: Oh. Okay.
CLINIC: What’s your name?
CALLER: I’m Christine.
CLINIC: Okay. Christine, when you make the appointment, they’ll, you know, make the appointment for you.
CALLER: Yeah.
CLINIC: And when you go in to see them for the actual appointment day, they’re going to sit down with you and they’re going to review your medical info with you.
CALLER: Yeah.
CLINIC: They’re going to review your decision, why you’re making it, and then once all that’s done then, you know, they’ll review all that with you and they can let you know.
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: At that time.
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: They probably know a little bit more about this than I do.
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: But, yeah, if you’ve done a positive test and you don’t want —
CALLER: Well, I haven’t.
CLINIC: Oh, okay. So how do you know you’re pregnant?
CALLER: Well, I don’t. I’m just — well, I just haven’t had my period since like December 14, so I’m just scared.
CLINIC: Oh. I would do a pregnancy test first then because they’re not going to schedule an appointment for an abortion until you’ve actually done a positive test.
CALLER: Well, could I come in to see you guys and do that there?
CLINIC: Positive — to get a pregnancy test? Absolutely. Yeah. They’re $22.
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: And it takes — you fill out some paperwork. We run the test and give you the results. It takes about 5 minutes to run the test.
CALLER: Well, my boyfriend can bring me in tomorrow. Is that all right?
CLINIC: Yeah. It’s a walk-in. It’s a walk-in service, so yeah, not a problem. You can walk in for that.
CALLER: Okay. Well, does he have to fill out any papers?
CLINIC: Nope. Nope. Just you.
CALLER: Because he said he doesn’t want anybody to know about him, so.
CLINIC: Okay. So here’s the deal. Why does he not want anybody to know? Have you —
CALLER: Well, he just doesn’t want my parents to know. He doesn’t want me to get in trouble.
CLINIC: But have you asked yourself why he doesn’t want you to? I mean, really?
CALLER: What do you mean? I don’t understand.
CLINIC: You said you’re 13.
CALLER: Uh-huh.
CLINIC: You tell me he’s 22.
CALLER: Yeah.
CLINIC: Okay. According to the law?
CALLER: Uh-huh.
CLINIC: Him even having intercourse with you is statutory rape.
CALLER: What is — what is that? He’s not raping me. We’re in love. We’re going to get married.
CLINIC: Exactly. But because you’re underage, you’re less than 16, years old?
CALLER: Uh-huh.
CLINIC: In the eyes of the law, it’s rape, whether you’re consenting or not.
CALLER: Well, what could happen?
CLINIC: I don’t know.
CALLER: Well —
CLINIC: I don’t know.
CALLER: Well, are you going to tell on him?
CLINIC: We won’t.
CALLER: Oh, okay.
CLINIC: But it can happen, yes. Somebody — if the law states — if you’re going in, say you have a positive test and you go in for a termination?
CALLER: Yeah.
CLINIC: They — it may have to be reported.
CALLER: Oh.
CLINIC: And so he wants you not to say anything because he already knows.
CALLER: Well, he said that he just doesn’t want me to get in trouble.
CLINIC: No, no. He knows it’s wrong.
CALLER: But he loves me. We’re going to get married.
CLINIC: But he doesn’t want to get in trouble. It’s not about you getting in trouble. It’s, he doesn’t want to get in trouble.
CALLER: Well, if I ended up not being pregnant, like after I came in for the pregnancy test, if it wasn’t, if it said that I wasn’t pregnant, do you guys do birth control there?
CLINIC: We do.
CALLER: Okay. But would you guys have to tell anybody anything?
CLINIC: Again, due to patient confidentiality, we, you know, we protect our patients’ confidentiality in that respect again. No parental consent laws when it comes to, when it comes to your reproductive health.
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: But at the same time, and I would have to look into this, I don’t know but the possibility exists that we would still have to report the incident.
CALLER: Oh. What incident?
CLINIC: That we have a 13-year-old having intercourse with a 22-year-old.
CALLER: Oh. Well, what if I didn’t tell you?
CLINIC: Well, if you didn’t tell us, you didn’t tell us.
CALLER: Oh.
CLINIC: You know. But at the same time, you and i having had this conversation, I know now. You know what I’m saying?
CALLER: Well, should I go someplace else then?
CLINIC: Well, I can’t tell you what to do. I can tell you that even though you’re consenting, the age difference is too great.
CALLER: Oh.
CLINIC: He knows. He absolutely knows. And it’s not about — right now it is not about him not wanting you to get into trouble. I can tell you right now it’s about him not wanting to get in trouble because he knows it’s against the law and it’s illegal what he’s doing, whether you’re consenting or not. He knows it.
CALLER: Oh.
CLINIC: So he’s placing you in a very bad position, and if you’re pregnant it doesn’t matter what decision you make, whether you decide to continue the pregnancy or whether you decide to terminate. Somebody — it will have to be reported.
CALLER: Oh. Well, if I came in for the pregnancy test, would you have to say anything?
CLINIC: Again, I already know.
CALLER: Yeah. So would you tell anybody now?
CLINIC: I don’t know enough bout you to tell anybody now, but it’s — you know, it’s a situation you have to think about. I mean, what I’m trying to do is, I’m trying to let you know, you’re in a really bad situation right now.
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: Because ultimately even though, you know, he professes his love to you and blah, blah, blah you’re 13, he’s 22. He’s an adult. He’s already grown up. You’re not considered an adult. You’re considered a child.
CALLER: Uh-huh.
CLINIC: And guys like to say whatever they need to say to get what they want, whether — you know, whether, you know, whether we like to hear it or not. And at this point in time, you’re not mature enough to determine whether he’s being truthful and honest with you or not.
CALLER: So you think he’s not honest with me then?
CLINIC: That’s a very distinct possibility. That’s a very distinct possibility. I mean, to be honest with you, yeah, I think he’s just trying to cover his own ass. I think, that’s what I believe. He’s 22 years old. It’s not about not wanting to get you in trouble. It’s about not wanting him to get himself in trouble because he knows, he knows he’s wrong, he knows what he’s doing is wrong, and he knows he can be charged with rape, and he knows he can go to jail for what he’s doing.
CALLER: Well, what can I do then?
CLINIC: Well, you know, at this point in time —
CALLER: It’s just, I don’t want him to go to jail. I love him. I mean, if he wasn’t there I don’t know what I would do.
CLINIC: Well, I mean, I think — you know, number one, you have to ask yourself, you know, whether this is — because of your age, whether this is something that you really need to be involved in. And number two, you probably need to be sharing this information with someone besides the anonymous person you’re talking to. Like, you know, really, because you don’t know me. And I can stand back and be objective and tell you what I see and what I hear and what I know, what little I know about the law. But you’re going to need to share this information with someone.
CALLER: Oh. Like who?
CLINIC: Well, I would, in the first place I would start would be my parents if I could talk to them, and –
CALLER: But I can’t. Like if I could talk to my mom like I talk to you, things would be so much easier.
CLINIC: Okay. Is there anybody else in your, a family member, anybody else?
CALLER: No.
CLINIC: An aunt, an uncle?
CALLER: No. We just moved and I don’t know anybody around here at all.
CLINIC: And he’s not — your parents know you guys are dating or they —
CALLER: Yeah.
CLINIC: — just know that you’re friends?
CALLER: He used to work with my dad, so.
CLINIC: Umm. Well, you’re really kind of in one of the, you know, you want to say you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place? That’s where you are right now.
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: And because you haven’t had a menstrual cycle in a couple of months, that could mean pregnancy. If it does not mean pregnancy, if you’re not pregnant and this is due to, you know, you’re freaking out, you’re stressed, and you know your period’s going to come, then you come up with a negative test, then you need to step back and start being — what’s the word I’m looking for? — I’m not saying this to insult you at all, but step back from the situation and be a little bit more mature about your choice. Okay? So you really have to look it; and, I mean, you have to ask yourself some relevant questions. Why would a 22-year-old man be interested in a 13-year-old girl? There’s the first question. Okay?
CALLER: Well, he says he loves me. I mean —
CLINIC: You know, when we’re 13 we love to believe, we love to believe that that’s what it is.
CALLER: But he’s a sweetheart. I mean, he said he was going to take care of me forever.
CLINIC: He’s 8 or 9 years older than you are. What if you go and have this pregnancy test and it comes back positive? and, oops, he’s gone, absolutely gone, just dumps you like a hot potato?
CALLER: But he wouldn’t do that. He said he was, he said he wants to take care of me until I’m old and gray and —
CLINIC: Well, you know, it’s nice that he’s saying that and because I don’t know him I can’t tell you for sure that that’s not exactly what he means, but it’s highly suspicious.
CALLER: Well, what do you think I should do?
CLINIC: Well, first of all, you need to find out whether or not you’re pregnant.
CALLER: All right.
CLINIC: Run a preg test, and then with the results of that preg test then you need to make a decision.
CALLER: But would you guys have to tell anybody if I, if I came in for a pregnancy test?
CLINIC: Probably.
CALLER: Oh.
CLINIC: I mean, I don’t want to entice you in.
CALLER: Yeah.
CLINIC: To do it. But somebody — wherever you go for a pregnancy test, if they have all the pertinent information that you’ve given me, absolutely they will have to report it.
CALLER: Well, should I just not say anything or —
CLINIC: Well, you can’t live in denial. You know, you can’t deny the whole situation. But first thing you need to do is run a preg test. If you want to do a home test, you know, you can do it that way.
CALLER: Okay. Well, I gotta go. I’m at my friend’s house and her mom’s about to be here. I gotta call you back. Is that all right?
CLINIC: Okay.
CALLER: Okay. Bye.
CLINIC: Bye.
(phone clicks)
THE END
