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(continued from Epilogue page
2 )
[vv] What will people find on the web
site when they go there?
[Keeley] Currently, they will find our
email address and our logo! But eventually, they'll find the 1-800
number, information, referrals to books—we have
a great collection of books that are positive for after-abortion support
[Jane] Also, links to other good sites;
some information about not-great places to go for after-abortion
support and why they're not so great; and facts about what people might
feel after abortion…While our organization serves New
York City (our edict is for New York City), people will end up going
to the web site from other places and we want to give them resources
in other areas as well.
And provide a space for people to write anonymously about their
experiences if they want to share them. I know there are other
web sites that do that, so maybe linking to those web sites.
[Keeley] And, as other after-abortion
talklines pop up around the country, having links to those organizations,
too.
Right now, it's just us and
Exhale.
[Jane]
New York City is where the most abortions are
performed in this country—clearly the fact that there's no service
like this is troubling.
[Keeley]
Many young people have come
back to me two weeks after their abortion—they wouldn't
go back to a clinic—it's hard to get them there
in the first place—no one is saying to them: take your medicine,
nor providing the emotional support. When they come back after two
weeks, it's like: did you get your prescription filled? Did I get my
what-? You know that white piece of paper… O, no.
After
your abortion, your first thought may not be: O, I have to go to the
pharmacy to get this prescription filled.
[Jane] It may be: I'm having minor cramping
and bleeding—is that normal?
And helping people deal with their feelings of sadness. One couple
I worked with created a ritual that really helped them to put
closure on it. We sat and talked about what might help them. They had
some spiritual background and they really wanted to do some sort of
ceremony for closure. It was wonderful for them.
[Keeley] The
Pregnancy Options Workbook by Peg Johnston has some good ideas
for closure.
She <Peg Johnston> also has another workbook out called The
Abortion Decision that's about deciding between medical or surgical
abortion.
Many people don't even know what that means . Medical abortion is so
new in this country. People think that it's like
a magic pill that you take it and you're not pregnant anymore. It's
not that.
[Jane] Part of the pregnancy options
counseling is to go through what
to expect, what it might feel like, what you might encounter—for
medical abortion in the first trimester, the procedure takes about
five to ten minutes.
[Keeley] But they may be there
for five hours—because of all the paperwork and the counseling
and the pregnancy tests, and the sonograms, and the waiting—
[Jane] —depending on where you
go
[Keeley] If you go to a place like
West
Side Women's Medical Pavilion—where they take Medicaid—that's
where a lot of people who have
Prenatal
Care Assistance Program go in the city—it will take longer.
[Jane] The clinics in the City
happen to be really good
[Keeley] Planned
Parenthood and
East
Side Women's Gynecology are good medical facilities.
[Jane] with Board Certified physicians.
[Jane] Anything else you wanted to ask
us?
[vv] Yes!
I'd like to hear everything you know about pregnancy options, pre-
and post abortion counseling and services available—and
not available…but for now, I'll just thank you for your time, and plan
to take some time reading through the web sites of the service providers
on the right.
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contraception and pregnancy options counseling
and service providers
The Abortion Access Project (AAP) is an organization of reproductive rights
activists and women’s health care providers dedicated to making abortion
truly accessible.
AAP works on the state and national levels to increase
accessible abortion services, increase the number of abortion providers,
improve the education of health professional students, and educate the
public to see abortion as part of comprehensive reproductive health care.
AAP has developed models of activism and training that can be used in other
regions across the country.
Parkmed Eastern
Women's Center was founded in 1971 as a women's health
facility. A full staff of gynecologists, anesthesiologists, counselors,
social workers, and nurses has always been maintained in order to provide
the highest quality services for women.
Parkmed Eastern Women's Center has grown to become one of the largest
providers of abortion services in the United States. Parkmed Eastern
offers abortions from the time of conception through 24 weeks as well
as non-surgical abortions.
Parkmed Eastern Women's Center provides individual counseling and stresses
personal attention to every patient. Comprehensive literature is available
to each patient, which explains both the procedure and her post operative
care.
The center maintains a separate follow-up unit for patient visits,
complete birth control services, tubal ligations, colposcopy, LEEP, gyn
exams, STD testing and treatment, and the morning after pill.
epilogue
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