PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF NORTHWEST/ NORTHEAST INDIANA
8645 CONNECTICUT ST.
MERRILLVILLE, IN 46410
219-769-3500

TAPE – 796

(Dialing, phone ringing 1x)

CLINIC: Planned Parenthood Merrillville. How may I direct your call?

CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I was trying to ask some questions about getting an abortion.

CLINIC: Okay. What you need?

CALLER: Do you guys do abortions there?

CLINIC: Yes, we do.

CALLER: Okay. How much does it cost?

CLINIC: $350. We do them a minimum of six weeks, the maximum of 13.

CALLER: How do you know how many weeks you are?

CLINIC: You get an ultra sound done the day of the procedure.

CALLER: Well, I haven’t had my period since January 3rd. Do you think that’s within the time period?

CLINIC: Yeah, definitely. We take Visa, Master Card, cash and check. We do them on Mondays and Wednesdays only.

CALLER: The thing is, I’m really worried about — I’m going to be 14 later on this month, and my friend told me that you guys would have to tell my parents.

CLINIC: How old are you?

CALLER: I’m 13. I’ll be 14 on the 19th.

CLINIC: You have to have a parent with you.

CALLER: But my boyfriend’s 22. Is he old enough to take care of it, and you wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: Indiana state law is that your mom and dad have to be here. Actually, we’ll have to report you to the state anyway because of your age.

CALLER: Why?

CLINIC: Because you’re under 14.

CALLER: But I’ll be 14 on the 19th.

CLINIC: It doesn’t matter. How old is your boyfriend? He’s 22?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Yeah. We’ll have to report it.

CALLER: Well, what would happen?

CLINIC: They’ll just — I don’t know. I can’t tell you. That’s out of our hands. It’s against the law to be with someone that age.

CALLER: Well, if I was 14 would you have to report it?

CLINIC: Um-hmm.

CALLER: Oh. Well, what if I didn’t tell you?

CLINIC: We have to have i.d. with you.

CALLER: What can I do?

CLINIC: You would have to have a parent or guardian come with you.

CALLER: But I can’t tell my parents at all. They can’t find out. They’d be furious.

CLINIC: Well, that’s your option. Your other option is to go to the court, and you’d have to call a judge. And you’d have to tell a judge why you can’t tell your parent, and they would have to give you something legally stating that you don’t need a parent here. But once they find out your boyfriend’s 22, he probably would go to jail anyway.

CALLER: He would go to jail?

CLINIC: Yes. That’s against the law.

CALLER: But he can’t go to jail. I mean, he’s the only one that’s ever here for me. If he wasn’t here — he can’t go to jail.

CLINIC: Well, then you’re best off just letting your parents know rather than the court.

CALLER: Well, what if I didn’t tell the court about him.

CLINIC: They would want to know who got you pregnant.

CALLER: Well, if he wasn’t 22, would it be different?

CLINIC: Probably.

CALLER: Oh, okay. So what age is it okay?

CLINIC: Eighteen in Indiana.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Now, I can give you the number to Illinois. They might have different rules.

CALLER: You think so?

CLINIC: Um-hmm.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: 312-266-1033.

CALLER: Okay. Well, I haven’t had a pregnancy test yet. Would I be able to come in there and you wouldn’t have to tell anybody if I was getting a pregnancy test?

CLINIC: No, we wouldn’t tell anybody. But if your test is positive though, we probably would have to report that.

CALLER: Oh. Well, okay.

CLINIC: That’s anywhere you go though.

CALLER: When do you do pregnancy tests?

CLINIC: How far are you from here?

CALLER: I’m at my friend’s house, and she’s in Maryville where you’re at.

CLINIC: Does she have a car?

CALLER: Well, no. But my boyfriend can bring me.

CLINIC: Can you be here in 20 minutes?

CALLER: Well, I don’t know. He has to get off work and come get me. But I don’t think we can get there in 20 minutes.

CLINIC: Okay. Why don’t you come in any time Monday between 8:30 and 5.

CALLER: Okay. And you’re sure nobody would have to know if I was getting a pregnancy test?

CLINIC: Hold on one second, okay? I’m going to find out.

CALLER: Okay.

(Pause)

CLINIC: Ma’am, if your test is positive, we would have to report you to the state.

CALLER: Well, if it came out that I wasn’t pregnant, could I get birth control from you guys?

CLINIC: Absolutely.

CALLER: Would you have to tell anybody then?

CLINIC: No, then we wouldn’t. Our job is to take care of you. We don’t want you to get pregnant. But if you are pregnant, we have to report you to the state.

CALLER: So you wouldn’t tell on my boyfriend if I was getting birth control?

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: It’s just we don’t want to have to worry about all this anymore, so we wanted to get birth control. I don’t drive yet. Could I have my boyfriend pick up the birth control pills?

CLINIC: Well, first we want to make sure if you’re pregnant or not, so we’ll do it one step at a time, okay?

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay. We’ll see you Monday between 8:30 and 5.

CALLER: Well, if I had any other questions, could I call and talk to you? What was your name?

CLINIC: My name’s Kara (sp).

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: All right. Thank you.

CLINIC: All right. Bye bye.

CALLER: Bye.

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