Where to

Where

Booth Memorial Hospital

1881 Torbensen Drive

DISCOVERING

get a pregnancy test Cleveland.

in

When

Cost Appointment Comments

HOSPITALS

M.F 8:30-11:30 am

free

no

Any age or marital status accepted. Do not perform abortions.

Booth Memorial Hospital is the only hospital which does free, convenient testing. If you lack a husband and you have chosen or think you might choose to have your baby, this is the place to go.

All 40 of the other hospitals require that you see a doctor on their staff first. He must requisition the test for you and the lab will give the results to the doctor only. And they charge a fee ranging from $5 at the lowest (Shaker Medical Center) to $12 at the highest (Deaconess Hospital for 2 tests). The one exception is Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital where you can go to emergency for a test costing $11. But even they will refer you to the John Glenn Clinic where the testing is free.

Cleveland Center for Reproductive Health 11955 Shaker Boulevard

CLINICS

free

no

Counseling available

free

no

Counseling available

Concerned Women's Clinic

10605 Chester

Free Medical Clinic of Greater

free

по

Cleveland East

123rd & Euclid

(West Side Clinic closed)

John Glenn Smith Health Center

11100 St. Clair

Kaiser Clinics

50 Severance Circle

2475 East Blvd.

Automatic counseling. You will have a long wait.

free

no

While you wait

M-F

9-11, 1:30-4 Sat. 9-11

free to most subscribers

no

Can see doctor also by calling "same day appointment"

National Health Care Services 10605 Chester

free

Near West Side People's Clinic 1965 West 44th Street

T, W, Th

free

no

6 9:30 pm

free

no

Automatic counseling

Preterm

10900 Carnegie

Tremont Free Clinic

800 College

no

free

no

As you see most places are on the East side and four of the clinics are set up primarily for abortion services. If you have difficulty getting time because you work you could try your industrial clinic or office health service. Many times they will be willing to send out for a urine test and charge you the lab fee.

SCHOOLS

This is the first article of our series on maternal health services in the Cleveland area. We as feminists are determined to help improve the quality of health services offered to women who become pregnant-whether they intend to terminate or carry pregnancy to full term.

Choice.

One of the most important decisions a woman will make in her lifetime is the decision whether or not to carry a pregnancy to full term, in a particular situation and at a particular time. In order to make her choice the first thing she needs is rapid and accurate pregnancy testing. When a woman has missed her period, feels nauseous, begins to notice tenderness and swelling in her breasts, she begins to search for a way to know for certain whether or not she is pregnant.

Perhaps she cannot afford a private physician. Perhaps she would rather not have her family know about her condition at this time and so would choose not to see her family physician. Even if she does choose to see a private physician there could be a long wait for an appointment. And then there is the fee for the test itself.

What about getting immediate testing, at low cost in a confidential atmosphere? What She Wants has conducted a survey of 41 hospitals, 13 colleges and 37 clinics in order to put together a quick reference directory of good places for all our sisters who don't enjoy wild goose chases and frustration during this anxious time.

Disappointment is the lot of women. Pregnancy tests are cheap and easily done. A woman should be able to go anywherehospital, clinic or school health service-and get one quickly and at low cost. There should be unbiased counseling available.

Some of the places we checked had surprising or serious deficiencies. Planned Parenthood of Cleveland will not do testing, although the cen ters of other cities offer this service and counseling.

McDonald House, a maternity clinic of University Hospital, hassled ùs on the phone about whether or not we planned to keep the baby and then ended up referring to a city clinic because they do not have quick testing available.

In clinics pregnant women may be faced with waiting long periods of time with possibly contagious people. Be sure to ask that you be kept separate if you are pregnant or if you may be contagious. There can be no excuse for the exposure of women waiting for pregnancy tests to people with contagious diseases such as measles or hepatitis.

Baldwin Wallace

Case Western Reserve

Cleveland State

Cuyahoga Community College

If you are a high school

$3.00

no

free

yes

Counseling available

$7.00

yes

free

no

not because she may be it is impossible for her to maintain confidentiality. Try any of the clinics listed instead. They will not turn you away because of your age or because you are not married we checked.

incompetent, but becaud "dent we do not recommend that you try the school nurse ·

There may be errors, ommissions or confusing statements contained in our survey. If any of our readers discover thase, we'd hate not to know about it. We would like the chart to be as accurate and helpful as humanely possible. Page 6/What She Wants/February, 1975