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by Jim Holman.
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Too Many Brown People

CALIFORNIA ABORTIONISTS TARGET LATINOS

By Sandra Guzman

For the first time since statistics on publicly funded abortions have been retained, the number of abortions on Latina women has surpassed those that are performed on their Anglo counterparts. Given this high rate of abortions among Latinas, who are predominately Catholic, pro-life activists charge that Latina women are being targeted by the abortion industry. Pro-lifers point out that discounts on the price of abortions are routinely advertised in Spanish language television channels as well as other Spanish language media but are not advertised in English television stations or newspapers. Marcella Melendez, past director of La Cuna Pregnancy services in predominately Latino Wilmington, said, "the ads that are placed on Spanish language television affirm what we already know--that our people are being targeted for population control by the cultural elite who feel threatened by the growing Latino population."

1993 was the first year in which the number of Latina women who underwent publicly funded abortions in California surpassed the number of Anglo women receiving publicly funded abortions. By 1996, according to the latest statistics released by the California Department of Health Services, Latina women underwent 33 percent of all publicly funded abortions, while Anglo women underwent 25 percent.

Because television, both in English and Spanish, is so highly priced, only the most affluent clinics can afford to advertise on these media. One such abortion provider is Dr. Edward Allred, who owns the Family Planning Associates chain of abortion clinics. (Allred's abortion practice is so lucrative that, in addition to owning the chain of clinics, he owns the Los Alamitos Race Track.) Family Planning Associates clinics are offering a discount on abortions to viewers of KMEX Channel 34. Dr. Allred records the outpatient information of each of his KMEX clients on specially marked outpatient record forms. Following the heading of the form, which lists the location of the Family Planning Associates clinic, is KMEX, Dept. 1, followed by an 800 number. A call to the number gives a pre-recorded message which provides another 800 number for emergencies. A recording which states that Family Planning Associates clinics are located "in most cities for your convenience," outlines the services the clinic offers: free pregnancy tests; cancer screening; female sterilization; simple and economical sonograms. The recording states that payment for services can be made via credit card, medical insurance or Medi Cal. The caller is told that any messages left will be kept in strict confidence.

KMEX viewers receive special discounts at Allred's clinics. A copy of the day's receipts at one clinic shows that a first-trimester abortion under general anesthesia is $325. On the same ledger is an entry for KMEX, and the cost for the abortion is $260. The co-pay for an abortion covered by insurance is $75. Family Planning Associates also offers a discount for later abortions. For second trimester abortion, up to 24 weeks, there is a $100 discount if one is a KMEX viewer. According to Graciela, a receptionist that answered the phone, the clinic will not perform abortions after the 24th week. "It's illegal to perform an abortion after 25 weeks in California or in the United States" she said. In the United States abortion on demand is permitted up to the ninth month but many abortionists will not perform second and third trimester abortions because of liability concerns.

Because of his large Latino clientele, Dr. Allred requires that his front and back office staff attend in-service education. Each staff member is monitored for compliance by having a note placed in their personnel file, as well as having copies sent to administration and the nursing department. The course outline reveals the topics that are covered in the course: patient rights, emotional and cultural sensitivity. One topic of particular interest is guilt. The course outline shows that the staff is told that one of the most common reasons for a woman to feel guilty about having an abortion is that she knows they are killing a child. The women may also feel that an abortion is "taking the easy way out." The outline tells the staff to dismiss these concerns and instead "encourage her to know the truth about herself."

At the conclusion of the course outline is the topic, "Fostering Positive Public Relations: Conscientiously Providing Good Care Makes A Difference." This may be a response to some of the abortion clinics which are found in Latino neighborhoods that are little more than storefront operations providing substandard care. A prominent pro-life attorney said that Dr. Allred is very careful to provide quality care during an abortion "because he has so many assets and doesn't want to risk getting sued for malpractice."

The KMEX discounts Dr. Allred provides are of special concern given his statement in an interview with Pastor Al Howard of His Nesting Place on September 10, 1984. There, Allred said, "actually, what I'd really like to do is go to Latin America and help establish some sort of population control programs using some of the expertise that we've gained..." Additionally, Dr. Allred was quoted in the October 12, 1980 issue of the San Diego Union, as saying, "Population control is too important to be stopped by some right-winged pro-life types...take the new influx of Hispanic immigrants. Their lack of respect for democracy and social order is frightening. I hope I can do something to stem that tide. I'd set up a clinic in Mexico for free if I could. Maybe one in Calexico would help. The survival of our society could be at stake...."

Another clinic that advertises on KMEX is Her Medical Clinic. Her Medical clinic is owned by Dr. Leo Kenneally. Keneally's clinic had briefly been owned by Dr. Allred when Dr. Kenneally's license had been suspended by the Medical Board of California, after four women died at the clinic. After eight years of litigation, a state court judge overturned the board's action against Dr. Kenneally. An April 5, 1998 Los Angeles Times article, quotes the judge as to why it was necessary to overturn the board's suspension of Dr. Kenneally's license. The article states he was an "unselfish and committed provider serving the poor in a community that is grossly under served medically.... His absence would make it much more difficult for disadvantaged women to obtain services."

Not all abortion clinics can afford television advertising to reach their target population--Latina women. These clinics, often storefronts in strip malls, will advertise in newspapers like La Guia, a Spanish-language paper distributed free of charge in Latino supermarkets. One past issue of La Guia carries an ad for Clinica Medica para la Mujer de Hoy, offering a $10 discount. A call to the clinic in Montebello revealed that the discount depended on which "flyer or advertisement" one brought into the clinic. When asked where flyers were distributed, the receptionist said that she was not sure. This was not the case at the East Los Angeles clinic. There the receptionist said that the flyers "are available outside the clinic." A call to the city hall of San Marino, Bradbury and La Verne showed that none of these cities allow would allow flyers offering a discount to abortion clinics to be passed within their boundaries.

Many abortion clinics in poor areas have substandard conditions. Ed Hurlbutt, director of the Fresno/Madera Right to Life said: "There is absolutely no regulation of abortion clinics. We have doctors performing abortions with suspended licenses and it's always the poor and vulnerable whom they prey on. If a Latina has an abortion and the abortionist maims her or kills her, the shame factor is there and she or her family will often not seek legal action against the doctor. You better believe if someone botches an abortion in Beverly Hills, there will be a lawsuit."

Last year Senator Ray Haynes (R-Riverside) introduced a bill, the Sharon Hamptlon Act, seeking to provide oversight for abortion clinics. The mother of Sharon Hamptlon, who died at the hands of a doctor on probation for repeated medical negligence, testified before the Senate. According to Senator Haynes, however, the bill died "because the Democrat-controlled Senate Health Committee decided it was more important to protect the interests of the abortion industry than the safety of California women." This year, Senator Haynes introduced the Sharon Hamptlon Act. "It is an abomination that those in society who are poor or who have limited English speaking abilities are being targeted by the abortion industry as evidenced by their Spanish advertisements."

Hurlbutt cited the difficulty in passing any bill attempting to regulate abortion clinics: "the Medical Board, he said, does not have the political will to regulate the clinics." Hurlbutt expressed frustration because of the lack of reporting requirements as to how many abortions are preformed in the State of California. "There simply is no way of knowing how many women are really injured by the abortion industry," he said

The Mission called Dr. Edward Allred's office at the Westmoreland clinic asking for comment about their ads on Channel 34. The office manager, Rives Wiggins said "We don't discuss this with the media."

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