Asking for assistance

[ethniu]

This is the post that I've entered into as many pro-choice and feminist communities as I could find. I'm going to keep looking for other places to post it as well. If anyone sees this and wants to link here, by all means go ahead

Comments

$$$

[anonymous]

Too bad the abortion industry is less about a woman's rights and more about the almighty dollar!

Re: $$$

[ethniu]

No kidding. I can't believe how much this guy is using his location to his advantage. He knows he's the only one around and he's made it just cheap enough so that traveling anywhere else would be just a bit more expensive than staying in town.

Re: $$$

[watersister]

I don't think that's what Anonymous Coward meant. He (it's probably a he) means everyone who performs abortions thinks that way, which is utter bullshit.

There are other possible reasons this guy's overcharging you, if that's the case. If he's the last holdout in his geographical area, the local anti-choicers may have turned up the heat to make him shut down. That can mean anything from more onerous regulations to the necessity for better security services. Also, he may be overwhelmed by requests for help and raised his prices to cut down on some of them--and if that's the case he probably isn't happy about it but what would you do?

Or he could just be a greedy bastard; some doctors are. But you never know.

And thank the so-called "pro-life" movement that he's the only provider in his immediate area. If they would quit harassing OB/GYNs who perform abortions, there'd be more choices for you.

Re: $$$

[ethniu]

I really don't know what's up with this guy, but I intend on asking him. I've never seen protesters outside his place and I didn't even know the clinic was here until I started calling around. This area is pretty liberal, so I seriously doubt it's pro-life pressure. I'll talk to him when I"m there and come back with some answers.

Alternative

[anonymous]

I am pro-choice as well, however, I am also prolife. I am sure that those seem to conflict but if you think about it for a second you will understand what I mean. checkout this website, I think it may help you out. itsaboutlove.org

---One grad student to another

Re: Alternative

[ethniu]

No, I understand. Pregnancy just isn't an option right now, between work and school and what I have to get done for the next year, there's no way that I would be able to carry this to term. Also, i've already tried a regimen of abortifacent herbs, so there would likely be severe birth defects.

Re: Alternative

[lisaerei]

pro-life means that you believe NO WOMAN should EVER be legally allowed to have an abortion. even if you personally couldn't have an abortion, but still support the option that other women should be able to have an abortion if they want them, that makes you pro-choice.

good luck with following through!
http://www.imnotsorry.net/

Re: Alternative

[oakalyptus]

Actually, lisaerei, it is possible to be both pro-life and pro-choice. To say that pro-life means believing no woman should ever be legally allowed an abortion is just as simplistic as saying that pro-choice means believing that every woman should be able to use abortion as contraception as often as she wants. Indeed, some think that to be pro-choice you actually have to be pro-abortion. But there are grey areas for both camps.

Meanwhile, ethniu, I just want to defend the midwives in your area. The mistake both camps make is to assume that the other is cold and unfeeling. Not true. When a woman is pregnant with an un-wanted child, one is going to lose out. Either the woman carries the unwanted child to term, or the child dies. Pro-choice people direct their compassion toward the woman, and pro-life toward the baby. I'm sure there are some people who are cold in their beliefs, but most people (IMO) have compassionate reasons for their stance.

[diatom]

Hey. I'm home sick, reading through journals and otherwise killing time. If it at all helps, sometimes it's actually better to have an abortion after 6 weeks. Some say 7 weeks is the sweet spot, where your uterus has softened a little from expanding with the pregnancy, so dilating your cervix isn't as difficult. *shrug* Small advantage. :)

Is charging it to a credit card still a possibility? What about selling your plasma at a local blood bank? Or, you could perhaps ask at the doctor's office if you can do a bit of a workstudy for a part-scholarship for your abortion? Filework/data entry. Hell, you have abilities,... Maybe that's a possibility?

*trying to think of helpful possibilities* Is it possible to get money from your family if you tell them you're having a health issue, and need surgery that your health clinic won't cover? I'm disturbed that there's no Medicare help out there... Good luck to you.

[ethniu]

I can't get any more credit cards, my rating is in the dumpster, i've already applied about five places online. Our plasma center doesn't accept donations from pregnant women, and they check every sample. I used to donate up until a few months ago, and now that i really need to, I can't. I'll try asking the clinic about the working thing. I doubt very much that asking for money for a medical thing would work, my family is very protective and they'd all want to come up for a few days to make sure that it's alright. Keep thinking though, you're giving me some good ideas.

[anonymous]

since you are in Michigan - why not call some of the clinics in Ontario Canada?

Many provide that service for free.

[1drowned]

yesss. i'm so glad i don't live in the states... you don't have to pay for stuff like that here.... it's madness, you have enough to worry about without having to think about money, it's horrible!!
i don't know if you could get an abortion for free in canada... but i know they have free health clinics all over the place that treat non-canadian citizens... whether you can find one of those that does abortions? who knows... i don't live in ontario.

[ethniu]

I"ll call around in Sault Ste. Marie tomorrow. I know another canadien resident said that she didn't think it'd work, but it doesn't hurt to try. The Sault is only about 120 miles away. I could probably make that in a day.

[ransim]

You don't need a traditional abortion, you need to go to the clinic your university provides, get a pregnancy blood test and get RU-86.

http://www.fwhc.org/abortion/medical-ab.htm

If the university won't provide it, at least get the blood test and go across the border to Canada for RU-86.

Its good until your 8 weeks.

[chantillylilly]

Can you message me and tell me which PP clinic you tried? Sadly, the numbers in this day and age prove America doesn't help women seeking abortions. The national stats are that 70-80% of American counties don't have an abortion provider; many women have to travel 50 miles or more to obtain their abortion. That being said, you are not alone and I know people are here to help you. Don't be down because of pricing - you are most likely not being gouged. It is simply more expensive for private doctors to provide abortions, just as it is more expensive to get a pap done with no insurance at their office than at a public clinic

[ethniu]

Marquette/Alger county PP. Our PP doesn't provide abortion services, but we have an independent clinic in town, hence the high price. They perform the MVA.

[ethniu]

You just need a blood test to get the ru-486? I might be able to do that. Our PP does provide blood tests if nothing else. Getting back for the checkup might be difficult though. I'll see what I can do about talking to these places tomorrow.