Listen to the Call:
Transcript:
PLANNED PARENTHOOD
3705 SOUTH ST.
LINCOLN, NE 68506-6044
402-441-3333
TAPE – 360
(Dialing, phone ringing 3x)
CLINIC: Hello, Planned Parenthood. South Street.
CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I was wondering if you guys do abortions there.
CLINIC: Yeah, we do perform them at our clinic.
CALLER: Okay. Well, how much does that cost?
CLINIC: Do you know how far along you are?
CALLER: No, not really.
CLINIC: Can I put you on hold for just a second?
CALLER: Sure.
RECORDING: — control methods, pregnancy testing, as well as diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infection. Sexually transmitted infection screening and treatment are also available for both men and women. Our trained and licensed family nurse practitioner treats common family illnesses like sinusitis —
CLINIC: Hi. This is the nurse. May I help you?
CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I was just talking to someone else and she gave me to you. But I was wondering about abortions.
CLINIC: Okay. What’s your question?
CALLER: Well, she was saying that I needed to get a pregnancy test I think.
CLINIC: Do you want information on abortion, what it cost, or do you want to make an appointment, or what is it that you’re —
CALLER: Well, I’m just confused, and I don’t know what to do.
CLINIC: Before we can — I can give you information on abortion, but you do need to — you haven’t had a pregnancy test yet?
CALLER: Well, no.
CLINIC: You have to take a pregnancy test first to make sure because there’s lots of other reasons why you don’t get a period. So you need to take a pregnancy test and make sure that you’re pregnant. And you can come here and do that if you want or just do a home pregnancy test. We’re only open until 4:30 today. But like on Monday we’re open to 6:30, if that makes a difference. And then once you have the positive pregnancy test, we can set you up with our counselor. There’s no charge for it. She has appointments on Wednesday afternoons and Thursday mornings. And you can discuss with her options and what’s available to you and that type of thing.
CALLER: Okay. My problem is — the main reason why I’m scared is because my friend told me that since I’ll be 14 in March, she said that you guys have to tell my parents that I’m getting an abortion. But my boyfriend’s 22. Could he just sign whatever it is?
CLINIC: Oh God, no. He’ll get charged with statutory rape.
CALLER: What do you mean?
CLINIC: (Laughing).
CALLER: What is that? I mean, he’s not raping me. We’re in love. We’re going to get married.
CLINIC: You’re not suppose to have sex with girls under 16. There is things available if you want to have an abortion and don’t want to tell your parents.
CALLER: I can’t tell my parents at all.
CLINIC: Okay. Then you would need to — there’s a parental notification law in Nebraska. You’re suppose to notify your parents. But we can get you a judicial bypass, it’s called.
CALLER: What is that?
CLINIC: You have to go to court and talk to the judge, and tell him why you can’t tell your parents. And he will issue an order saying that it’s okay for us to do the abortion without telling your parents.
CALLER: Does he ever say no?
CLINIC: Umm, no, not really. Well, he has I guess but not usually. But you can only do that through our counselor. You also need to get a pregnancy test first. Why don’t I just make you an appointment for next Wednesday. Do you have any idea when your last period was?
CALLER: Yeah. It was like December 14th.
CLINIC: Okay. That’s when you started bleeding?
CALLER: Yeah.
CLINIC: Okay. So December 14th, and today is the 21st. So that means you’re already 10 weeks pregnant. And we go up to 16 weeks. The price changes at 12 weeks. So you want to get in as soon as you can so it doesn’t go up any higher. Right now it’s 360.
CALLER: Well, my boyfriend said he would pay for everything.
CLINIC: Well, let me go get that schedule and give you an appointment to talk to our counselor Coleen (sp) for next Wednesday.
CALLER: Well, I’d have to call him and see if that’s a good — if he can take me.
CLINIC: Where are you at?
CALLER: I’m in Courtland.
CLINIC: Oh, okay. So you’re not that far away. Is that about 45 minutes from here, 40 minutes from Lincoln?
CALLER: Yeah, I think so, maybe half an hour.
CLINIC: Well, she only has very limited appointments. She has three on Wednesday afternoon, and she has two on Thursday morning, and that’s it.
CALLER: Well, I’d have to call my boyfriend to see when he could get off work.
CLINIC: Well, I think we should make the appointment for you know. And then if you can’t keep it, you can call back.
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: But otherwise they might be gone, and you might have to wait until another week.
CALLER: Yeah, I don’t want to wait.
CLINIC: Yeah. Hold on.
(Pause)
CLINIC: Well, she didn’t put out a schedule for next week. So you’ll have to wait and call us on Monday.
CALLER: Oh, okay.
CLINIC: And tell them that you want to make an appointment with Coleen. Okay? So meanwhile get a pregnancy test though to make sure that you are pregnant.
CALLER: When you were talking about the statutory rape, what all could happen?
CLINIC: Well, the thing is, if a man has sex with a girl under 16, they can be charged with statutory rape. I suppose if you say it was consensual — but your parents, if they found out, they could still do something about it.
CALLER: Would anybody have to tell them?
CLINIC: Your parents?
CALLER: Right.
CLINIC: No, we’re strictly confidential. And then you have to get that judicial bypass.
CALLER: But would you have to tell the police or anybody?
CLINIC: Oh, no, no, no. No. We wouldn’t. We don’t do anything like that, unless you told us that you were being forced.
CALLER: No. We’re in love. We’re going to get married. He’s going to take care of me forever.
CLINIC: Yeah, well. He’s 22. That’s pretty old for a 14-year-old. But that’s okay. That’s not our business. We’re not judging you for that. We would just help you obtain an abortion if that’s what you wanted to do.
CALLER: Could he come in with me to get the pregnancy test? Could he be there with me?
CLINIC: Yeah. Oh, sure.
CALLER: But you guys wouldn’t have to say anything?
CLINIC: No, we wouldn’t say anything. We wouldn’t even know that he was the father. And I don’t know what your name is. I have no clue. No, he can come in with you. You don’t have to say this is my boyfriend who got me pregnant.
CALLER: Oh. So I just don’t say anything?
CLINIC: I just wouldn’t say anything. If you come in to the counselor, she’ll ask you about the father, if he’s involved or whatever. And you can say he’s paying. We don’t bring any legal action whatsoever.
CALLER: If I wasn’t pregnant, could I get birth control there?
CLINIC: Yes. You just come and make an appointment to get an exam. You can get birth control pills from us.
CALLER: The only thing is, is I can’t drive yet because I’ll be 14 in March. Could he come and pick up the pills?
CLINIC: Right. With a signed note from you he could pick them up.
CALLER: Okay. But you guys wouldn’t have to tell anybody that I was on birth control either?
CLINIC: No. We’re strictly confidential.
CALLER: I just have so many questions I can’t think of right now. Could I call you back and talk to you? What was your name?
CLINIC: My name is Joanne. I’m the LPN here, okay?
CALLER: Okay.
CLINIC: You can call me back on Monday. Now Fridays we do abortions, so we don’t really answer the phones tomorrow. You can either come in on Monday or call me on Monday. And I leave by 3 though usually. So I don’t know if you can get here before then.
CALLER: Well, I’ll talk to him and see.
CLINIC: Okay.
CALLER: Thanks.
CLINIC: All right. You’re welcome. Bye bye.
CALLER: Bye.
***END***