Ask A Nurse

You may e-mail the nurse with questions regarding your pregnancy, resources available to you and STD's. The e-mail is checked twice a day.

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Q: Why should I have an ultrasound at your clinic when the abortion clinic will do one before my abortion?
There are several reasons. We do free ultrasounds to determine the gestational age of your baby (how far along you are) That will help you decide what type of abortion would be best for you. We can determine if it is a viable pregnancy (is the fetus alive?). If it is not a viable pregnancy, you will likely miscarry naturally and you will not need to go through the trauma and expense of an abortion. 15% - 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. We can confirm that the pregnancy is in your uterus. If it’s not, it’s called an ectopic pregnancy and is a medical emergency. An abortion will not get rid of that pregnancy. We can help you look at all options and resources and discuss medical information about your abortion.

Q: I’m pregnant and spotting. What should I do?
You SHOULD talk to your doctor. First trimester spotting is common in early pregnancy. It often is not a problem, especially if you do not have cramping, but YOU MUST let your doctor determine that. Bleeding greater than your typical menstrual period and cramping pain in your pelvis, lower back or lower abdomen could be a symptom of miscarriage. You need to see a doctor immediately, or go to the emergency room. If you don’t have a doctor, call us for a referral. If you live near Placentia or Santa, you can see our Nurse Practitioner for an evaluation.

Q: What is the safest form of birth control?
The only way to be 100% sure you won’t get pregnant is to abstain from sex. If you are married, we recommend Natural Family Planning (NFP). There are no drugs to affect your body and if done correctly it is 95-99% effective. With NFP you will be able to identify the time of the month when you can get pregnant.

Q: Are your services confidential?
Our services are confidential. We will not release any information about you unless you give us signed, written permission. We will not even acknowledge that you have come into the clinic. Confidential does not mean anonymous. We do need your name and information If you come in for STD testing and you test positive, we are required by law to provide your name, contact information, and the STD you have to the Orange County Health Department. That information is for statistical purposes and in some cases they may follow-up with you to make sure you received treatment.

Q: I’m pregnant and I don’t have insurance. What should I do?
If you fall within the California income guidelines we can provide Presumptive Eligibility (PE), temporary Medi-Cal. PE allows you to see a healthcare provider while you are waiting for the Medi-Cal office to process your paper work for permanent Medi-Cal. If your income is a little too high for Medi-Cal, we can give you a pregnancy verification so you can apply for Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM). It is very low cost insurance through the state for you and your baby.

Q: I’m pregnant and I know my parents are going to kick me out. What should I do?
We can help you with your choices. We have maternity homes associated with our clinics. If there is no space available in our homes, we can give you a list of other homes for pregnant women. We can counsel you how to receive Medi-Cal as a special minor without informing your parents.

Q: I’m pregnant, what financial help can you give me?
We do not provide cash, but we can give referrals for the following:
WIC, if you qualify. (Provides certain healthy foods for pregnant women, infants, and small children)
• Food Pantries
• Housing assistance
• Employment assistance
• Child care resources
• Free parenting classes, called Bridges, where you earn free baby clothes and diapers for attending the classes and where you can receive a car seat for $20 after attending a class about car seat safety

Q: Condoms make sex safe, right?
Condoms make sex safer, but there is still a significant risk of picking up an STD even with condom use. (There’s also a risk of becoming pregnant using condoms only – about a 20% chance in a year.) Condoms are most effective for blocking the transmission of HIV- about 85% effective if used consistently and correctly. For other STD’s such as Chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, and HPV, the rate of effectiveness is much lower.

The CDC reports that:

“The surest way to avoid transmission of STD’s is to abstain from sexual intercourse, or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and you know is uninfected.”

“Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are highly effective in preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.”

“Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of transmission” of other STD’s such as Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes, HPV.

Q: When can a woman get pregnant during her monthly cycle?
A woman is most fertile in the middle of her cycle, between menstrual periods. If a woman has her period every 4 weeks (28 days), she will get her period on day 1, ovulate (release an egg) about day 14, and get her period again on day 1 (after day 28). She can be fertile at least 5 days before and 2 days after ovulation, because sperm can live up to 5 days in a woman’s genital tract. It is always about 14 days from ovulation to when menstruation starts, but the time before ovulation can vary, especially in someone with irregular periods. This can make it difficult to determine when the woman will be fertile. Some women track their basal body temperature and other symptoms to help determine when they may be fertile. If a woman does not want to become pregnant, she should abstain from sexual intercourse during the fertile time of her cycle or use a reliable form of birth control.