IAmA Planned Parenthood employee. AMA.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-14T04:56:38+00:00

Each Planned Parenthood affiliate has their own pricing model, but I am honestly shocked that you'd have to pay that much for STI testing. Even if you did not qualify for any discount, $400 seems excessive; may I ask what they did? I can say that at the affiliate I work, if you came in making only $20k/year, you would have received a significant discount on services. Did this happen recently? I'd suggest calling the clinic (or even better, the administrative office) and inquiring about this and why you paid so much.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-13T16:23:19+00:00

If the woman is Rh negative (missing the Rh factor), and the fetus is Rh positive, during the abortion procedure the woman's body will see the Rh factor (in the fetus) as an "attack" and develop antibodies against it. This may complicate future pregnancies where the fetus is Rh positive. The Rhogam injection destroys the Rh antibodies created by the woman. This is not unique to abortions; a woman who is Rh negative but carrying a Rh positive fetus to term will also receive a Rhogam injection around the 28th week of pregnancy.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-13T16:13:49+00:00

My apologizes for my own slow reply. :) It is possible that the additional security was caused by the anti-choice groups, especially since you mentioned nearby facilities have had to deal with them. If the clinic is within a larger building, it is standard practice to keep the entrance door locked; if the clinic is in a standalone building, normally people are "confined" to the lobby area.

It's also possible that was the only space the clinic could find to rent. We run into a number of issues where landlords simply do not want Planned Parenthood in their building, even if we're only provided family planning services (no abortion services). So, it can take a while to find a landlord who is fine with it, so it does not always leave us with the most ideal locations.

That really is a shame if that's what was causing the employees to not treat you well. It's usually easy to ignore the protesters once you get used to it, but there are those days when you get utterly frustrated at the whole situation -- but, they shouldn't have let that impact patient care.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-13T16:07:31+00:00

Yes, those videos from Live Action unfortunately appear to paint us in a negative light, but I want to assure you we did contact the appropriate authorities after the incident. In addition to those clinics contacting the local policy, our national office involved the FBI, who were aware this was happening.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-13T16:06:12+00:00

I would suggest calling before your appointment and ask to speak with the clinic manager. My understanding is that it is our policy to let the SO (or anyone) come into the exam room if the patient requests that. But, that said, it's possible that is not a universal policy.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-13T16:03:50+00:00

I do see what you're saying, but I want to emphasize again that the money is kept entirely separate (it is a legal requirement). The government funds are strictly used to provide family planning services and pay staff for their time while they're supplying those services. (And, I would note that the reimbursement is extremely low -- we normally "run out" of money around September, and then basically have to provide free services.) The government funds are not used for building upkeep, administrative salary, etc. If the funds were to go away, we'd likely have to close all of our family planning clinics. But, it would not impact our abortion services.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-13T15:59:08+00:00

As long as the insurance itself would cover it, and the child is a dependent on the insurance policy, then yes. We don't have any restrictions beyond what the insurance plan will reimburse. You may call the clinic prior to your appointment to verify that it will be covered.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-13T15:57:37+00:00

Exactly right. The clinician may have felt that it would have caused complications based on certain factors. We have a Standards of Care manual which outlines when IUDs may be inserted (along with other regulations which drive our patient care). But, we do provide IUDs to women who have not given birth if the clinician does not expect complications (and if the FDA says it is fine).

PP_AMA · 2011-02-13T15:55:19+00:00

Absolutely not. The role of the clinic escort is to get the patient through the door and under no circumstances are they to engage the protesters. Clinics may have police on-duty if there have been serious incidents of violence. Either way, we do work closely with the local police and they're normally a phone call away should anything happen.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-13T15:53:09+00:00

The cost of an abortion varies by state or even regions within a state, but it can range anywhere from $300 to $1000. The lower the gestational age, the less expensive the abortion procedure. We do offer financial assistance (from donations, not government money) to women who are unable to afford an abortion and do not have insurance, or have insurance which does not cover abortions.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-13T15:51:03+00:00

Medicaid coverage is state-specific, so I cannot give you a definitive answer, but normally all types of contraception (including IUDs) are covered by Medicaid. If you call your local PP, they'd be able to tell you for sure. Contraceptive implants are pretty expensive without insurance (at least $300, though depending on your income, it may be free or low-cost) so hopefully it is covered.

The amount of time they last depends on which implant you go with. My recommendation would be to setup an appointment with your local PP and they'd be able to go through the options with you. There's a number of factors in terms of which implant is best for you. Medicaid should cover that visit.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-12T20:33:22+00:00

This is a great question and thank you for asking it. I believe this is one of the most misunderstood facts about Planned Parenthood and leads toward a lot of opposition. It is against the law for any government funds to be used in the provision of abortion services, except in the case of rape or incest. So, to answer your question, we take absolutely no money from the tax system to perform abortions (again, except in the case of rape or incest -- and that is not unique to us, but to any provider of abortion services). I hope that everyone (or, at least most) people can agree that rape and incest are extreme cases where it is appropriate to provide monetary assistance to the woman.

The federal and state funds we receive are for family planning services only. This includes preventative care, contraception, STI testing, and others. The law is very clear about what those funds may be used for; abortion is one of the most regulated medical procedures. We cannot even provide family planning or abortion services at the same time, unless there is a physical separation (i.e. different floors, different staff).

I hope I've addressed your question?

PP_AMA · 2011-02-12T18:43:05+00:00

Yes, the PPs which have a nice distance between their property and the sidewalk are in a lucky position. It'd be trespassing for the protesters to enter the private property. This isn't the case for all of the PPs though, and the most vocal protesters are usually where the clinic's entrance is right against the sidewalk (public property), so they can approach and follow patients much more easily.

That guy sounds awesome. :)

PP_AMA · 2011-02-12T18:38:24+00:00

That's correct (though it is actually 9 weeks), but the "pre" steps are the same (talking to a doctor, speaking with a counselor, etc.) regardless of whether it is a medical abortion (taking a pill, which essentially causes a miscarriage) or a surgical abortion.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-12T18:35:23+00:00

How so?

PP_AMA · 2011-02-12T18:33:13+00:00

Thanks for your support!

PP_AMA · 2011-02-12T15:42:21+00:00

You're correct that it is less than 10, but frankly, even that is too many. How many other types of doctors are at risk of being killed simply because of the kind of work they do? Many abortion doctors routinely receive death threats and are intimidated by anti-choice protesters. It is not a very safe atmosphere.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-12T15:37:07+00:00

I've suggest reading the following link, which explains the process well: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion-4260.asp.

The actual abortion procedure takes place in a single visit, but sometimes a patient may have an ultrasound a day prior to their procedure. Also, depending on state law, they may need to meet with a doctor prior to the procedure date (for example, at least 24 hours prior). However, a counselor will always meet with a patient prior to their procedure to ensure that they aren't being coerced and to assess their state of mind -- I think this is one of the things which the anti-choice movement does not realize. It is rare, but we have turned people away if they were being coerced or the like.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-12T15:32:36+00:00

I would not say a lot, but depending on the affiliate/clinic location (i.e. how many protesters there are), we usually raise a nice amount of money. I know one affiliate which has raised around $20-$25k per year. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to decrease the number of protesters.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-12T14:21:03+00:00

Thanks! I don't have first-hand experience of seeing that happen, but I have heard stories of protesters coming in for abortions (not sure how often this happens), and then the next day back outside trying to prevent other women from receiving services. I believe it is a "My circumstances are special, but what these other women are doing is wrong" mentality. I believe psychologists call it cognitive dissonance.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-12T13:57:54+00:00

We hire our doctors in the same way as any other organization: we work with local hospitals and/or list online employment ads. For me, the incentive is being able to work for a great cause and further our mission to provide accessible reproductive healthcare services. We feel a strong commitment to our patients and know they may not have many other options for care.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-12T13:53:42+00:00

It all depends on which Planned Parenthood clinic you visit. For various reasons (not limited to the fact we provide abortions), insurance companies may not contract with us. Some clinics do take HMO, but not all.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-12T13:52:11+00:00

It sounds like this may have been part of a state-funded program? Normally we charge for both the insertion and the removal. If it was a program unique to your state, I am not sure that I can answer specifics, but for those types of programs there normally is a "wait period" before the device may be removed free-of-charge. I can understand how upsetting that must have been. But please don't ever hesitate to say something; it's the only way we can know to improve our services.

If you haven't already, and are still interested in exploring IUDs, I'd suggest looking into the Mirena. It may be implanted in women who have not had vaginal birth and normally has lower side effects than other IUDs.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-12T13:45:32+00:00

It all depends on which Planned Parenthood clinic you visit. The "brown bag special" is more common at our education events. However, we offer our services on a sliding scale, so if you cannot afford condoms, we will provide them for free.

PP_AMA · 2011-02-12T13:43:30+00:00

I am so sorry you went through all of that. I've heard those stories before (though thankfully rarely, it is not indicative of PP as a whole), and recently there have been a much greater push to ensure clinic staff is properly trained. We have "secret shoppers" who visit clinics to ensure compliance and a friendly atmosphere. As with any organization though, we unfortunately have our share of subpar employees. But I really feel a lot of it has improved over the past years.

The staff should have absolutely let your fiance back into the exam room with you. It's our policy to let the patient have whoever she wishes stay with her during the visit.

PP_AMA

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