by Kimberley Heit

Created on: October 10, 2008

A scene I witnessed recently makes me very inclined to side with profit. I was waiting at an internationally branded family planning practice recently when I saw quite a disturbing scene. A woman went to the counter to pay for the abortion procedure she had just emerged from. She had her money in hand and quickly handed it over, seemingly anxious to leave. The attendant however, returned to her saying that it wasn't enough; the actual cost had worked out to be more expensive then initially detailed.

The woman explained that she only had that amount of money with her because that was what she had been advised it would cost prior to the procedure. The attendant behind the counter quite rudely responded that "well she had been later term then believed and that was why the cost had increased". The woman was told not to leave whilst the attendant went and saw if they doctor would allow her to leave now and pay the remainder later. The difference was something quite insignificant like $10-$15 and they had the woman's contact details on file. The attendant did come back saying the woman was free to go, but the treatment of this woman who was undoubtedly in an emotional state already sticks in my mind as very rude and unfeeling.

I continued waiting until the person I had arrived at the clinic with emerged. To my horror they appeared to be in extreme discomfort and quickly asked that we leave. The person I had accompanied had just had a vasectomy (one of the popular advertised procedures by abortion providers). This person was not new to vasectomies because this was a return visit due to the first being a failure!

The person then described some very alarming factors to me. In having the procedure repeated they realized that the first time had been a slap dash effort and this time because they weren't being charged the full rate the organization had again skimped on the advertised service. During the consultation time prior to the procedure where the paperwork encourages a client to ask questions this client's questions were completely ignored in favor of rushing into the procedure. At the beginning of the procedure the client was asked if they could feel anything in the area they were numbing. The client replied yes, but they ignored this and proceeded to start the procedure, causing him to spend several minutes in agony. It seems that because they weren't getting the full fee they reduced whatever service time they could.

Just a few short weeks later we had the opportunity to discuss abortion providers with a family practice doctor. His immediate words were "Money hungry butchers!" He made mention that when he was studying medicine it was the students that wanted to earn a higher pay packet without having to get full surgical training that opted for a career in private abortion clinics.

The combination of failing to provide proper consultation times, using inadequate anesthetic, and failing to act with sensitivity sure makes it seem like profit is the abortion provider's main priority. There are undoubtedly exceptions to the rule. Perhaps some great doctors who work in the arena because they are passionate about family planning being the client's choice. However, the scary fact is that the organization that has shaped my belief is one of the popular providers that exists in every continent on the world.

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