PLANNED PARENTHOOD
6 ROBERTS AVE
RUTLAND, VT 5701-3120
802-775-2333

TAPE – 605

(Dialing, phone ringing 1x)

RECORDING: Hello, you have reached —

CLINIC: Planned Parenthood. This is Kate.

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

CLINIC: Yes.

CALLER: Well, how much does that cost?

CLINIC: The cost is 370. That includes ultra sound, follow up, care and the procedure itself.

CALLER: I’m going to be 14 next month, and my friend said 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. If you’re 14, there is a law that says — well, actually — let me get this right. You’re 14 and your boyfriend’s —

CALLER: I’ll be 14 next month.

CLINIC: Okay. Well, if you’re 13 now and your boyfriend is 22, technically that’s — I mean, we would have to report that.

CALLER: To who?

CLINIC: To the state because —

CALLER: Why?

CLINIC: Because it’s called statutory rape.

CALLER: But he’s not raping me. We’re in love. We’re going to get married.

CLINIC: Okay. I understand that. But we would have to — the doctors would have to talk to you. And then would have to kind of assess.

CALLER: Well, what could happen?

CLINIC: I don’t know off the top of my head.

CALLER: So I can’t get an abortion then?

CLINIC: No, you can. It’s just you have to come in for options counseling first, and we need to do a pregnancy test. We’ll cross all those bridges when we come to them.

CALLER: But I don’t want my boyfriend to get in trouble.

CLINIC: Well, I don’t know if he would or not.

CALLER: I don’t want to take that chance though.

CLINIC: Okay. Well, it’s up to you what you do. You don’t have to come in. You didn’t even have to tell my who your boyfriend was or how old he was or anything like that. Those were choices that you just made. So if you go into a clinic, regardless of whatever it is, if you’re under 18, you have to have options counseling first. That’s what the law is. And then I don’t believe in Vermont there’s a parental consent.

CALLER: Well, what if they didn’t know about my boyfriend? Could I still get an abortion then?

CLINIC: Who?

CALLER: Whoever would get into trouble.

CLINIC: Well, the law is to protect you. The law is to make sure that some adult man is not taking advantage of a 13-year-old girl.

CALLER: But he’s not. We’re in love.

CLINIC: Okay.

CALLER: I mean, he’s going to take care of me forever.

CLINIC: I understand. I understand, okay? I hear what you’re saying. But I’m telling you what the law is. I’m telling you why the law is in place, okay?

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: I’m giving you this information because that’s what the law is, and we’re not going to lie to you and say nothing about that when really there is a law that says if a man over a certain age is having sexual intercourse with a woman under a certain age, it’s against the law.

CALLER: The main reason why I’m worried about all this is I haven’t had my period since December 26th, and I’m just scared.

CLINIC: Right. You need to come in for options counseling.

CALLER: Well, do you guys do pregnancy tests there to make sure I am pregnant?

CLINIC: Yes.

CALLER: Oh. But if it turned out that I wasn’t pregnant, could I get birth control?

CLINIC: Yes.

CALLER: Okay. It’s just me and my boyfriend don’t want to have to worry about all this again.

CLINIC: Right.

CALLER: But would you have to tell anybody if I was on birth control though?

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: Really?

CLINIC: Yes. I haven’t lied to you yet, have I?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: So I’m not going to start now, okay?

CALLER: All right. So if I came in there without my boyfriend it would be better?

CLINIC: Well, I think that — I really think that you should be up front with everyone about whatever is going on. But you should do whatever you feel most comfortable doing. I have to put you hold for a moment, okay?

CALLER: All right.

(Pause)

CLINIC: Okay. So do you want to come in for options counseling?

CALLER: Well, what time should I come in?

CLINIC: You can’t come in today. We’re too short-handed today to take any walk-ins. If you want to come in tomorrow.

CALLER: What time tomorrow?

CLINIC: Pregnancy tests are walk in, so just come in during business hours.

CALLER: What are your business hours?

CLINIC: From 10 to 2.

CALLER: Well, I’d have to call my boyfriend to see. He said that he would take me.

CLINIC: It’s not that you have any kind of appointment. So if you can’t come in tomorrow then it’s okay. But I would suggest that you get this taken care of as soon as possible.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: All right. Thank you.

CLINIC: You’re welcome. Bye.

CALLER: Bye.

***END***