Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Vol. LXIII-No. 15 University of South Carolina, Columbia, S. C. 29208 Thursday, Otbr1,17 Sometimes a problem can become too large to handle alone. When this happens expert, confidential help is as close as the telephone I Abortior BY CHARLES FELLENBAU] Last weekend, Karen (ne her real name) a 19 year ol USC sophomore fror Columbia walked into thl Women's Medical Center a Washington, D.C. for ai abortion. This is the stor; of her experience. "I'm glad I had it done, she said. "If my mother ha, found out about it it woul have killed her, and my boy] riend's parents too." "My first guilt feeling occurred when I was on thi table. Sometimes I still fee guilty because I realizi there will never be anothe baby like the one I lost. "The people at the clinii said I took it very well. don't feel a lot of guilt abou what I've done. g "The whole thing take about three hours. I was ii at 9 a.m. and back at thi motel at 1 p.m. I real!: believe a girl could g~ through it by herself but it', nice to have someone there My boyfriend went with me He wouldn't let me go b3 myself. There were a lot no : ~. " 'm g ad* "i>:?{ : :: ::: i:'~~~~~~. . ..:: }:{ "".: ..i. .. . l . . }. ... :". L -.};: s Y:nv.::.. ........... .. . . . . . . ..: "ilm glad boyfriends, fathers and pa t mothers there in the waiting tut d room. les 1 "The place was very new wh e and very sanitary. If it mi f would have been bad I would vie 2 have walked out. I called 6 y them last week on Tuesday ing for a Saturday 9 a.m. giv appointment, made plane sto d reservations and got in at 2 six d p.m. We spent the night and TI - went in the next day. an( "The first thing you do is bir s fill out release papers, the lati e clinic is not liable. Then they cus 1 take lab tests to make sure linj you're not RH negative. yes r Then there is a session with wei a trained counselor. I was g : surprised how nice and Shi Iunderstanding the people dec t were. The counselors stay in the operating room with fro you and help you with brea- whi thing exercises. of "They give you a shot to froi cause labor contractions but nes they (the contractions) are the Snot strong or painful. . Although it was pretty pain- goo . ful for me, I'm different Thi inside and other girls there wee F didn't feel near as much carn .. . .: .. Ihad It n. They used the vacumn d4 >e method. It causes a lot y< s bleeding and pain. The y< ole process takes about 15 a] niutes. They block your uj w. You're in the recuperat room about an hour and en antibiotics and pills to p the bleeding. I was with m other girls in the room. w tere is more counseling I they tell you all about P th control methods. We I r all sat around and dis- w sed our personal fee- w s. There was a 45- sI ir-old lady whose kids cl e grown. She got pre- Pl int during menopause. in1 a and her husband at ided on an abortion. c All the other girls were m the south except one wa went to the University PI Waryland. They were s n North Carolina, Ten- m see and Virginia. I was to only girl from S.C. n still can't believe how th d the people there were. n my advise you after three W iks to go for follow-up W. i with a doctor and if yonuD ABORTION REFERRAL HOTLINE 777-4256 (hours: 7:30 p.m. until 9 p.m.) COUNSELING BUREAU 777-5223 THE BOSOM 252 3601 PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES CENTER 777- 4864 COLUMBIA HOTLINE 758- 2191 done."2 )n't have one they'll give u a name of a good one in ur area. If you live in the ea they offer free follow ) care. "It wasn't a hassle like ost girls would think it ould be. I thought I might a very upset if it ever hap ned, but I was pretty calm. was nine weeks pregnant hen I had the abortion. I ent to a local doctor, but ie didn't know of any inics. She told me to go to lanned Parenthood for formation. I didn't know >out the abortion-hotline on Lmpus. "The cost for my abortion as $125, plus $64 round trip ane fare to D.C. per per n. My boyfriend paid for ost of it. We were planning get married anyway, and iw we probably will over e Christmas holidays. The me of the clinic is the omen's Medical Center of ashington., Washington, C. 20006. 202-29-927.7