[numbr1dbcksfan]

What is your experience with Planned Parenthood? Remember that the name is national, but they are all locally governed so they are all different depending on state issues. (That was meaning dont just equate PP with abortion services).

[SchmennaLeigh]

I, personally, didn't like how the one I went to in college (hey man, cheap birth control is GOOD for the college student, I'll fully admit to that!) was not necessarily pro-choice but pro-abortion, if that makes any sense. However, I also know this varies from PP to PP, so I still suggest them to young women/adult women who need cost effective female health care. Seriously. Cheaper birth control was a college student's godsend.

[BrandyHagz]

Planned Parenthood in Texas did not offer abortion services, but that wasn’t why I went, I went for Birth Control. It was almost impossible to get an appointment, the cost of the pills, which you had to get from their clinic, rather than a pharmacy, was more expensive than if I went to the Dr. and got a script…so, I don’t refer for that reason.

I used to laugh when people suggested “Planned Parenthood” because it seems their agenda, at least in Texas, was for everyone to get pregnant by making birth control options unreachable.


(This was 15 years ago)

[happygmom]

My daughter went to PP hoping to get counseling on two occasions. As per her account, they only seemed interested in whether or not she brought "the check" for an abortion. They were not interested in discussing any other options. In other words, no check? Next!

Happy G'Ma

[Nicole28]

I have not ever not been to a Planned Parenthood, but I am aware of their services and, as a young woman, I applaud them! I wish more young women knew that there was somewhere to go to get unbiased, honest information.

I do have a related story I wanted to share, though. I attended a Catholic high school (by choice - not for religious reasons, {I am not religious} but because I wanted and needed a smaller school environment and a change from my HUGE public school) and during my Junior or Senior year (I can't remember which) my grade attended a pro-life mass at the Cathedral downtown. I had no problem with attending mass - it was a "regular" mass with a fairly non-offensive homily - but after the mass we participated in a pro-life "march" of sorts. This was a surprise to most of us...we didn't know we were going to be parading down the street with other people. We especially did not know we would end up on the lawn of Planned Parenthood with other march participants who held signs of aborted fetuses and chanted the Hail Mary. When we got to the Planned Parenthood we noticed that a police car was already parked out front - probably for the safety of those inside. I remember seeing people inside the building peek out the windows and close the blinds. I felt so incredibly guilty that day - I ended up walking across the street and standing in a parking lot because I absolutely refused to be a part of something like that.

Years later (okay, not years...maybe a year or so haha) I spoke to a friend who was telling me she had visited Planned Parenthood and recieved birth control pills and a bunch of useful pamphlets. Her mom never had conversations with her about sex, and so the folks at PP were her only resource.

A little off topic, but I figured I'd share.

[numbr1dbcksfan]

I have never actually had an issue with planned parenthood. I think I got pills from them in TX for $30 . I think I got pills from them once here in PHX many moons ago (I have a Dr here) and I 'think' the price was the same. But they give out condoms for free.. (at least they did then).

Pills from my Dr are of course cheaper because of co-pay.. but for a teen without medical... I think that is a reasonable price.. a dollar a day.

Ill put myself out there though (since negs are gone) and say I did use their abortion services.. and I was a mess and couldnt stop crying... The nurse did ask me if anyone was forcing me to do it.. and I answer no... but I think if someone is in that state they should make her come back.

In every single other aspect (including that day) I have found their services to be completely professional and never felt as though an abortion was their business. (As a matter of fact, here, only 2 or 3 offices do them.. you must be referred.)

[SchmennaLeigh]

I'm just kind of... disheartened?... that they vary so much from state to state. Bummer.

And yes, Christine, I think you should have been encouraged to come back the next day. Gah, if I was that nurse, it would have forever weighed on my conscience. *HUGS*

[timni]

When I was young they were a GODSEND!!!! I would only recommend them if I knew of someone who couldn't afford healthcare or needed pregnancy support cheap. Ironically the pp I went to in Evansville, IN were very unbiased when dh and I got pg unexpectedly w/o insurance and didn't know where to turn. A crisis pg center was much ruder. They were also extremely kind when I miscarried and had to have a DNC. So I would recommend but only in certain circumstances.

Funny side note.. when dh and I were getting married I went to pp for birth control. They were so shocked to find out I was still a virgin that the nurse walked me all around the clinic and told all the other nurses how proud she was to have a girl who waited till she was married but was getting on birth control anyway. It was a strange day.

[Lissa01]

I can say honestly that I loved PP in NJ. I have been going there since I was 16, not because I was sexually active but they were great with helping me regulating. They are very informative and helped me all the way until I was 26. They can provide free birth control if you cannot afford it as well as free condoms. I recommend them to everyone who asks. I wish they had one in the area I live now. We have A LOT of young teenage girls with no where to turn for guidence, so in turn we have a lot of teenage pregnancies. Mostly because of a lack of education. And because they have to where to go with any sort of privacy. PP can be a great education sorce as well as protecting yourself. They also had offices that specialized in family planning.

Lissa :

[DeNaJa]

I have worked closely with my area CPC...it is a medical center and is extrememly professional and efficient. They have 6 offices currently and are merging to open more. THey run on donations and volunteers. The doctors and ultrasound techs donate their time. THey have parenting classes, support groups, mentoring programs, access to housing and transportation, continuing education, a "store" where women earn "money" when they complete certain parenting class requirements (cribs, car seats, furniture, clothes, etc...) so women feel they are earning...dignity! They also give away lots of formula, diapers, wipes, clothes, baby and maturnity outfits, etc... medical care, plug into existing resources available in the community, help with adoption should the woman desire to place, and post abortion help for women suffering after an abortion decision. All this they offer a woman for free and on a much smaller budget than the multi-billion dollar a year Planned Parenthood Federation. Nothing they offer is at a profit so they do not have a financial stake in the woman's decision. On the flip side, if a woman is counseled at an abortion clinic, the clinic will profit should she abort and lose money if she does not. One would think the bias or at least potential for bias is obvious. I have also worked with the CPC and maturnity home in my current town and with a maturnity home that a woman I met in a crisis pregnancy ended up staying in. She and other woman were able to stay the duration of their pregnancy and 6 weeks post delivery. The home helped find permenant housing for her and her son and helped with job placement, childcare so she could return to school, and many other practical needs. All free. All her food, utilities, clothing, baby care items...all were free. They helped her with medical also. She was not a citizen at the time, so she didn't have available what a citizen would, so they filled the gap. They also offered accurate fetal development information. I have heard OVER and OVER and OVER again how women are lied to about the fetus, especially in the 1st trimester. This is wrong to do. I have read stories on line about women who were told it was just a clump of cells. I personally know women who were told the fetus was just a blood clot or some tissue. My daughter's birth mom was told that at 20 weeks, her baby was not formed yet. So many women have aborted and them been broken to later learn of the deception...especially when they get pregnant with a "wanted" child and they get a pregnancy book or their OB gives them pamphlets and they see the ultrasound (which the clinic wouldn't let my daughter's birth mom see). How can there be choice when women are lied to? How can they speak of choice when they don't trust women with the information to make an educated decision? So many women have told me that they were pressured to abort by their counselor...that abortion was their solution...their only real choice. My daughter's birth mom was not told her options or the risks or anything really about the procedure. She was pressured by the clinic and told "no one will want a bi-racial, rapist's baby" when she expressed an interest in adoption. When she still hesitated they told her if she did not consent to the abortion, she would die. Not might die...not high risk...she WOULD die. So, convinced she would die having a baby no one would even want, she agreed to the second trimester abortion she didn't even understand. Where was the choice???

On the flipside, she did eventually go to a CPC in her state and was offered much support and assistance. She, obviously, decided to place after getting information about open adoption. AFTER she was given accurate fetal development information, was told her risks and options, and had the procedure explained to her, she chose NOT to abort. Think of what would have happened if she had gotten the accurate information AFTER she had the abortion. What would that do to a young woman? The clinic didn't even tell her she had been given chlamydia by her attacker when they did the STD test on her before they started her abortion. They NEVER contacted her. I feel, as a woman, this is a vital bit of information necessary to make an informed decison on whether or not to go forward with the abortion, considering chlymidia can make you sterile, if interduced into a raw womb and if left untreated. They never bothered to tell her. When she began prenatal care, her OB told her and treated the disease. Another friend of mine had a terrible experience at another abortion clinic in her state. The abortionist made sexual comments to her. She was to be awake during the 2nd trimester abortion. The did the blood test, but didn't tell her till after the abortion when she was in and out of consciousness (passed out at least 5 times) that she was Rh negative and if the blood of her baby mixed with hers, she would miscarry futrue wanted pregnancies. They KNEW before the abortion she did not have the extra money for the shot the recommended because she didn't have the money to be put to sleep. Once again, withholding information necessary to make an educated choice! No money? No shot. They sent her, hemorraging into her shoes, to walk to the bus stop. She returned 5 minutes later, bleeding and terrified. They had locked the doors. They never called a doctor or squad. She ended up telling her mother, who she was having the abortion to hide the pregnancy from, and was taken to the emergancy room for treatment and her mom paid for the necessary shot. They do not know if she will be able to have children. She aborted approx. 6 years ago and she still regrets it. The clinic reenforced her fears instead of finding out how she could be helped. No one ever told her she could have her son. They brought her abusive boyfriend in tohelp her feel more trapped...similarly, the clinic brought my daghter's birth mom's mother in to enforce the decision to abort. When asked if this is what she wanted she said yes because she was afraid not to! The person coersing the decision was right there!!! What was she suppose to say...NO, my mom (my boyfriend, husband, abuser, boyfirend's mother, etc...) is making me do this? No one ever gave her accurate fetal development information either. No one explained anything other than that she needed to bring $1300 and needed to hurry and get it done as soon as possible.

To me, it is obvious that one side stands to profit financially from an abortion decision and the other side is offering free practical help and services to women to help make continuing the pregnancy a viable option. WHen was the last time an abortion clinic or a Planned Parenthood offered anything other than abortion and birth control (at a fee to either the woman or the taxpayer) except MAYBE some free condoms (and PP's condoms in a Consumre Reports test were rated the worst with the highest failure rate!?).

http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive...parenthood.htm

Consumer Reports released their findings on condoms in a February 2005 comparison report of 23 condoms available for purchase, including popular name brands like Trojan, Durex, and Lifestyles, as well as those distributed for free by Planned Parenthood.

The Planned Parenthood Lollipop, Assorted Colors, and Honeydew condoms were found to be among the worst for preventing unwanted pregnancies and were the only condoms to receive a poor rating by Consumer Reports.


One side is a for-profit (non-profit) that makes a lot of money selling pills, shots, services and abortion. The other is a non-profit that offers everything free. So many times I have heard women say they "have to have an abortion", usually for financial reasons, but sometimes just because they do not realize there is help available. Once their needs are met, they no longer feel they have to abort. They realize they can continue the pregnancy and parent or place the child...and they will have help every step of the way. One side offers a 5-20 minute long "solution" at a fee and once done, sends the woman home. The other side is a minimum of a 9 month commitment where there is no quick fix...it is time, money, etc...all freely given to help a woman in need. In my case, we adopted to provide an option to a scared, pressure, 13 year old rape victim. We wanted to do EVERYTHING we could do to help her, including raising a special needs child and loving this child for the rest of her life...and loving her birth mom also! There is a huge difference between PP and CPCs. I know which one I support and exactly why.

[numbr1dbcksfan]

Well.. it is safe to say that I am flabergasted.. This horrific work of fiction should be sold to the Lifetime movie channel. I hear they really buy into these things to suck in viewers...

I beleive this is all completely false. It is one thing to say that you support a certain agency.. it is another thing to make things up (or embelish major details... whichever is preferable)and post them as a horrific story. I understand you got this story second or third hand (or more) but someone is really playing you if this isnt your original work.

All this story even talks about is an "abortion clinic" not even planned parenthood. And everything you described is NOT what happens.. at all. Doctors are not "abortionists" and they would not and could not send someone hemmoraging out into the street then lock the doors. Maybe in the old illegal, backstreet abortion days. But not in a medical clinic. (Which contrary to this post... a crisis pregnancy center is NOT).

I have a negative Rh factor... it is not what you are making it sound like.. you need the shot so that your blood does not attack the baby's blood... it does not prevent you from having another baby by missing a shot.... upon the next pregnancy the doctor would automatically test and give the shot(Unless both mother and father are negative Rh).

This kind of irresponsible information being spread around carelessly is exactly what the folks trying to remove women's rights want.

[DeNaJa]

When I was speaking of Planned Parenthood specifically, I said so. Some of the stories I have read or women I have spoken to have gone to Planned Parenthood for counseling and/or abortions...were either referred for an abortion following counseling or were provided an abortion as one of Planned Parenthoods services.

The woman who was sent out of the clinic bleeding into her shoes told me her story 1st hand. I was a bridesmaid in her wedding last year. This is her story and she has shared it publically. She was told by the clinic she needed to know her blood type and that the 2nd trimester abortion she would require cost approx $1300. She went to the Red Cross and donated blood the day before her abortion (she was 18 wks and 5 days) to get her blood type, not realizing the Red Cross would not tell her her blood type at the time of donation. When she arrived with her abusive boyfriend at the clinic, she told them she had given a pint of blood the day before. They scolded her, but proceeded anyway. She paid the money and then learned the $1300 was for local, not general anesthesia. They told her they recommend she be put out for a 2nd trimester abortion, but would do it proceed anyway. She did not have the money for general. So, she was on the table, with her hand on her stomach, and the "doctor" (if you prefer that term...he was performing an abortion, so the term abortionist can certainly apply) and made a sexual comment about her underwear. He then began the procedure. She felt her stomach go flat and freaked out. She was in pain. She passed out. Several times, she passed out...she rememebers passing out "at least 5 times". She was sent to walk to the bus stop despite loss of blood and went into a McDonalds restroom bleeding into her shoes. It scared her and she returned to the clinic. The doors were locked. She went home and her mom took her to the ER. What I described did happen. You cannot possibly know every single case in which a woman has had an abortion and whether or not all goes smoothly. She and I have been friends now for 5 years. We met when she posted her story on a message board. We have since met in person several times and as I mentioned, I was in her wedding.

In regards to the Rh factor, I am relaying what the clinic told her. That she needed the shot, which cost money she did not have, in order to preserve her future fertility to prevent her body from attacking a future wanted pregnancy. She was terrified and did not have the money...they knew she did not have the money. Had they been forthcoming with that Rh information BEFORE the abortion, she might have postponed it till she had the money for the shot. And, as mentioned, her mother DID take her to the ER for treatment and paid for her to get the shot at the hospital. The ob/gyn she went to after the abortion is the one who initially mentioned concernes about whether or not she would be able to carry to term future children.

As to my daughter's birth mom, I heard that story 1st hand also form her own mouth and from her mother also who was with her daughter the entire 6 hours they were at the clinic (a different clinic than the one my friend was at). She WAS told by the doctor to "imagine this coming out from between your legs" and held up a coffee mug to instill a fear of pain of childbirth. She WAS told by the counselors and this doctor that her baby was not formed yet, although she was 20 weeks pregnant and they would not let her see the ultrasound, although her mother did see it. She was told no one would want a bi-racial rapist's baby and was told she would die if she didn't abort. This terrified her mother who was already abortion minded and pressing for the abortion.

I believe it is irresponsible to begin a forum asking people's opinions in a poll and experiences with CPCs and PP (and yes, MEDICAL centers DO exist...do your homework please...BTW, past PP president Pamela Maraldo sought to focus and mainsream PP as an organization into a broad based primary healthcare organization. This was opposed and she was received a vote of no confidence and resigned) and then attack those who post experiences that go against your ideology and personal agenda. You do not and cannot possibly know evey situation that exist within CPCs and PPs and abortion clinics. You wrote that you believe " this is all completely false" and that I "make things up (or embelish major details... whichever is preferable". You have, in essence, called me a liar simply because you do not wish to believe what I wrote. You find the stories "horrific"...they are true, whether or not you want to believe them. I found them horrific also. I got involved to help these women. I believe to keep women uneducated and uninformed, to purposefully keep them ignorant of fetal development, risks, and options, to attack those who relay information from personal experiences is anti choice, is irresponsible and is
horrific" as well. The women's rights you seem to support are abortion and this is your perrogative, but please do not think you are able to divne what is true and what is fiction. You do not have to believe what I wrote. I am not surprised that you do not because it doesn't conform to your version of reality. However, your desire for these stories to be false does not alter the reality that they are VERY MUCH TRUE.

If you didn't want to know...why did you ask?????

[numbr1dbcksfan]

Having been through the procedure, I am telling you flat out that these things are FALSE.

You did not hear anything FIRST hand.. as FIRST hand would be yourself experiencing them. I am telling you from FIRST HAND experience that what you describe is not what goes on. And that whoever relayed to you their story highly fabricated it... then of course the story you got SECOND hand was then put into your own words and relayed here into THIRD hand material.

You do not "feel" your stomach go flat in an abortion. I am not allowed due to TOS to call you anything... especially what you said I "in essance" called you.. but if this were your story I would indeed be ensinuating that. Since you say they are not your stories.. I will save the for the person who first relayed them.

I stand by the fact the it is completely irresponsible to pass on untrue information as an example of what would normally happen in this type of a situation.

Here is some reality:

When you make your appointment they tell you what the fees are up front. They tell you the maximun to bring - in case you are a negative Rh... then if you arent it just costs less. Different states also have different rules on how long you have to wait before having the procedure done.

On the day of the procedure you go to the clinic and are generally with a group of other girls who are also there for the same reason. Each person is called back and given a vaginal ultrasound to check how far along the pregnancy is. The pregnancy must be visual on the ultrasound to proceed that day. If it isnt you have to come back when it is. If you are less than, i believe, 7 weeks along you have the option of having the abortion pill combination rather than a surgical procedure.

The next thing that happens is that you go into a room and watch an informational video on the procedure.. what will occur and what the risks are.. and what to do just in case something happens. Once you watch the video, you then sign the forms.

You are given valium and Ibuprofen to relax and ease the pain prior to the procedure.

Once you are back in the room.. you are dilated enough (with the proper instrument) to insert the suctioning device... then your uterous is suctioned. It feels like cramping and pressure. The dilating part is the most uncomfortable.

Afterword you are to stay in the clinic for I believe at the very least a half hour... you are in a chair leaned back, with a heating pad and your blood pressure is checked. Once you are monitored, as long as all is normal you can go home -- but are crampy for a few days. At first like really bad cramps... then later like a normal period.

When you leave, you are also supplied with a form of birthcontrol.. the pill, condoms, or at the very least the Plan B... it is your option which.


I realize this is taboo to post.. but I thought that an actual account needed to be posted after that nonsense.

If you are a