The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 22, 1973, Page Page 3, Image 3
ABORT
...Refe
BY MARSHALL SWANSON
Contributing Editor
"Every year I lived on campus
from 1966 to 1970 1 knew of at least
one illegal abortion being per
formed on a girl in my dorm. One
year they found a dead fetus in a
garbage can at South Tower."
With that, Vicki Eslinger, the
former USC maverick law student,
explained why she thought an
abortion hotline on campus was
necessary.
Carolina coeds were being
butchered by illegal and un
sanctioned abortions until July of
1970 when New York passed an
abortion on demand law, she said.
During SGA elections in March
and April of the following year,
Harry Walker asked Eslinger for
her help in his campaign for
student body tresident.
Eslinger replied in the af
firmative-- under two conditions.
The first was a guarantee that
she could compile a booklet on
birth control for Carolina coeds
with no administration censorship.
The second was a proviso that
she could create an abortion
referral agency designed to give
information on VD, abortions and
birth control.
USC President Thomas F. Jones
wasn't especially keen on the idea,
Eslinger recalled.
It was his idea to have the
referral agency incorporated in
dependently of the university.
But that wasn't good enough for
Eslinger. She insisted that the
agency be under university
auspices.
After a check with the state
attorney general to make sure
such a service would be legal, the
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Abortion Hotline opened.
During its first year and a half of
operation, Eslinger said the
hotline handled over 2,000 calls. .
Information on the types of
abortions, price, where they are
available, data on pregnancy tests
and VD as well as birth control, are
all available through the hotline.
If a caller wants an abortion the
USC President T
about the ide
hotline will set up an appointment
for her at one of several clinics in
New York, Washington, Atlanta, or
Columbia.
Last year, said Clisby
Williams, hotline director, some 35
callers were going to New York for
abortions each month. That figure
is down now, she added, either
because morewomen are going to a
new abortion clinic in Columbia or
because not as many women
realize the hotline exists.
During the first three weeks in
October, for example, the hotline
provided birth control in
formation and general data on
abortions, but did not make any
abortion appointments.
The hotline is staffed entirely by
student volunteers, although non
students can work for the service
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Coeds comprise most of the
workers, Williams said, except for
a time last year when two male
sociology students worked on the
staff.
The hotline is answered by
students Monday through Wed
nesday from 7:30 - 10:00 p.m. and
during other hours by an an
swering service.
Volunteers regularly check
homas F. Jones wasn't
: of an abortion referrc
with the service when they're not
on duty to see if any calls have
come in, Williams said.
Normally at least four students
are needed to run the service and
more volunteers are needed now,
Williams added.
The age of many of the hotline's
callers leads Williams to believe
that many of them are not
students. The average age is 20.9,
Ad enough Williams thinks, to
make them too old to be students.
How many callers are students is
inyone's guess because
women using the hotline do so on
in anonymous basis.
The hotline is financed under the
Dffice of Coed Affairs. Williams
estimates the annual cost at bet
ween $50 - $100. which is used
primarily to pay the answering
Imm
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service.
Other expenses consist of money
for posters, office supplies and the
regular #4 phone bill.
Williams said volunteers ask
callers to get in touch with the
hotline after they have their
abortion in order to follow up on the
patient and check to see if the
clinic lived up to standards.
especially keen
il agency .
Vicki Eslinger
All of the clinics, she added,
employ psychologists to counsel
the patients after they've had
their abortions.
Last year, enough patients
complained about one clinic to
warrent taking it off the list,
Williams said.
GAME
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Change of address forms, subsc
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The Gamecock received 536.000 fri
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open 10 a.m.--1 p.m.
hering
Callers that can afford the full
cost of their abortion when they
call the hotline may. use a fake
name if they wish, said Williams.
Others that pay for the abortion
over a period of time must give
their names to the clinic during the
procedure. The hotline, however,
does not keep the names of its
callers on file.
"After their appointment with
the clinic we tear up the
portion of the form with their
name on it, " Williams said.
Williams stressed that the clinic
is not a counseling service and
staffers do not advise callers on
whether or not they should have
abortions. They simply direct the
callers to information sources or
give them information themselves
and let the callers make up their
own mind.
"Most of the girls that call have
decided already whether they want
an abortion or not," Williams
added.
The hotline is located in room
302B of the Russell House. The
number is 777-4256)
COCK
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)rawer A, USC, Columbia, S.C.,
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)m the student activity fund for
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