HOPE MEDICAL GROUP FOR WOMEN
210 KINGS HWY
SHREVEPORT, LA 71104
318-221-5500

TAPE – 702

(dialing sound) (ringing 1X)

CLINIC: Hope Medical. This is Samantha. How can I help you?

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

CLINIC: Yes, we do.

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

CLINIC: $350 as long as you’re under 12 weeks.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: The first thing that you have to do in Louisiana is come in for a state-required doctor’s measurement.

CALLER: Okay. Well, how do you know how many weeks you are?

CLINIC: Well, you can estimate how many weeks you are from the first day of your last cycle. Do you know when that was?

CALLER: January 3.

CLINIC: If it was January 3 you should be about 9 weeks right now, 9 to 10 weeks.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: So $350 would be your fee until you get to 12 weeks. At 12 weeks it goes up to $400. The first thing that you do is come in for a doctor’s session. And at that doctor’s session we’ll give you an ultrasound to determine your length of pregnancy.

CALLER: Okay. Well, do you know — it’s just 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. Is he old enough to take care of it and you wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: No. No. It’s, as a minor you have to have parental consent.

CALLER: Oh.

CLINIC: And if you can’t get parental consent, there is something else you can do. You can go talk to a judge.

CALLER: Uh-huh.

CLINIC: And he can decide whether or not you’re mature enough to make the decision to have an abortion on your own.

CALLER: Do I need like a lawyer for that?

CLINIC: No. What you could do is come to that first session.

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: And we could give you the paperwork to do that. But I’m not sure in your situation, you know, like what your chances would be of getting that since the person you’re involved with is not a minor.

CALLER: Would it be better not to say anything about him?

CLINIC: I’m not sure.

CALLER: Oh.

CLINIC: I don’t know. I really — I don’t have any advice to give you about that. But that’s another option.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Otherwise, you’re — yeah, you’ll have to have a notarized statement from one of your parents stating that they give you permission to have an abortion.

CALLER: Okay. But does the judge ever say no if I go to him?

CLINIC: Yeah. I mean, that is an option that he has. I mean, he can tell you that — or he can decide that you are not mature enough to make the decision on your own without your parents, and in that case the only thing left for you to do is to get your parental consent.

CALLER: Oh. Well, I just, I haven’t had a pregnancy test yet. Do you think that there would be any way that I wasn’t pregnant?

CLINIC: Yeah. I mean, it could be. Like especially with young girls. Like there are lots of time is when your periods may not come for whatever reason.

CALLER: Oh, really?

CLINIC: Lifestyle — if you’re very active, if your diet has changed. You should take a pregnancy test. Where do you live?

CALLER: I live in Boger City.

CLINIC: You could come take a pregnancy test here for free.

CALLER: Really?

CLINIC: Yeah, if you come in by 4:00.

CALLER: Okay. But would you have to tell anybody if I was there for a pregnancy test though?

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: That’s completely confidential, and anonymous, although you do have to give your name, but that’s all.

CALLER: Okay. It’s just me and my boyfriend were talking about all this, and he said that he would pay for everything, but he doesn’t want anyone to know about us. Would he have to sign anything if he was paying for it all?

CLINIC: No. I mean, he would need to — like we only accept payment in the form of money order or credit card. I mean, if he —

CALLER: He could pay cash.

CLINIC: Well, we can’t take cash, so he could get a money order, and that would probably be his best bet if you want to keep everything very confidential.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: You know, because if he wanted to pay with a credit card we would request ID from him and everything.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: But, yeah, the first thing you have to do is come in for that doctor session. I suggest you do first is come in for a pregnancy test to be sure you’re pregnant in the first place, and then we’ll go from there.

CALLER: Okay. But if he paid with a money order then you wouldn’t have to say anything to anybody?

CLINIC: We aren’t going to say anything to anybody anyway. This is absolutely confidential. I’m saying, if you paid with a credit card we would make a copy of his license for your chart, and if he’s so concerned about his privacy he probably wouldn’t like that. So a money order would probably be the way for him to go. But we’re not going to discuss your — you know. We’re not going to discuss your situation with anybody.

CALLER: Okay. But if it turned out that I wasn’t pregnant, could I get birth control just so that we don’t have to worry about all this anymore?

CLINIC: We only give birth control to our patients, so what you need to do to get birth control is call like LSU Medical Center. You can get an appointment there. And that’s what you should do, okay?

CALLER: Okay. Well, would they have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: I don’t think so. I”m not sure. I’m not sure what their policy is.

CALLER: Oh. All right.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: Okay. So I could call you back and get an appointment for the pregnancy test then?

CLINIC: Sure. You don’t have to make an appointment. Just come in.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Every weekday from 9 to 4.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: All right?

CALLER: All right. So thanks.

CLINIC: Okay. Bye bye.

(phone clicks)

***THE END***