THE HOPE CLINIC FOR WOMEN
1602 21ST ST
GRANITE CITY, IL 62040
618-451-5722

TAPE – 759

(Dialing, phone ringing 2x)

CLINIC: The Hope Clinic. Can I help you?

CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I was calling to see if you guys do abortions there.

CLINIC: Yes, we do. Hold on just a moment, ma’am.

(Pause)

RECORDING: At Hope Clinic we take extra care to ensure that your total experience is a positive one. You’ll receive lots of personal attention from our warm and caring staff. Our beautiful new building has a soothing, comfortable atmosphere. We provide abortion care at its finest.

The fee for an abortion at Hope Clinic includes an ultra sound, lab work, individual counseling, antibiotics to prevent infection, aroma therapy to aid relaxation, and medication for effective pain relief. Thank you for holding. We’ll be right with you.

Women and their doctors have counted on Hope Clinic for high —

CLINIC: Okay. Did you have some questions, hon?

CALLER: Yeah. I was calling to see about getting an abortion.

CLINIC: Okay. How far along are you, hon?

CALLER: Well, I’m not really sure, but my last period was January 3rd.

CLINIC: Okay. Have you had a pregnancy test?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: I need you to have a pregnancy test before you call us, hon.

CALLER: So I do I come in there for that?

CLINIC: You call us back to schedule your appointment.

CALLER: But where do I get a pregnancy test though?

CLINIC: Go to Walgreen’s to have one done, a hospital. You just need to confirm that you’re pregnant, hon.

CALLER: So the ones in the store are usually right though?

CLINIC: Yep.

CALLER: Really?

CLINIC: Go to Walgreens and get an EPT and just call us back, okay?

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: All right.

CALLER: Well, how much does it cost to get an abortion?

CLINIC: Hold on just a second.

(Pause)

CLINIC: From 4 to 11 weeks of pregnancy —

(Talking to someone else) I just need you to sign this blue sheet for me, hon. Oh, it’s hard for you to do it.

From 4 to 11 weeks it’s $355 for the surgical abortion and an additional $30 if you’re a negative blood type.

CALLER: Okay. The thing is that I’m really worried because 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 everything, and you wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: No. We’re not going to tell anybody. There’s no parental consent in the state of Illinois and there’s no age.

CALLER: Me and my boyfriend were talking about all this, and he said that he would pay for everything in cash. But we don’t want anyone to know about us. Would he have to fill out any forms or anything?

CLINIC: Well, when you schedule your appointment, hon, we’re going to ask you for your address and your phone number and your Social Security number and stuff like that, but it’s strictly confidential. It doesn’t ever leave this office.

CALLER: So there’s nothing that he has to fill out?

CLINIC: There’s nothing that he has to fill out at all. But you do need to have your payment for a money order, Master Card or Visa.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: And when did you say that your last period was, sweetie?

CALLER: January 3rd.

CLINIC: Is that when you started?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Okay. Let me tell you just about how far along you might be. Is it March 7th?

CALLER: Uh-huh.

CLINIC: It looks like right now you’re probably almost nine weeks, sweetie. So from 4 to 11 weeks, they’re $365. It’s an additional $30 if you’re a negative blood type. If you wait any longer from 12 to 13 weeks, the fee goes up to $490 and an additional $75 if you’re a negative blood type.

CALLER: After the pregnancy test that I take, if it turned out that I wasn’t pregnant, could I get birth control? It’s just me and my boyfriend don’t want to have to worry about all this anymore.

CLINIC: Yeah. Well, you need to go to your OB/GYN for that, hon.

CALLER: Oh. So you guys don’t do birth control there?

CLINIC: No, we only do birth control for the patients. Like if you were a patient and you had a procedure done, we would get you started on your first pack of birth control pills, and then it would be up to you to go to your doctor or whatever to continue. So if you’re not going to come to the clinic for a procedure, then you need to go to your regular doctor.

CALLER: All right. I just wish I could talk to my mom like I’m talking to you. But if I had any other questions, could I call and talk to you? What was your name?

CLINIC: My name’s Becky.

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: All right, hon?

CALLER: Okay. Thank you.

CLINIC: All righty. Bye bye.

***END***

1