first trimester care, $350

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Oct 04, 2005

The gutsy and unfailingly interesting Maria Elena Kennedy gives an intriguing glimpse into the down-market abortion industry in Southern California, targeting immigrant Hispanics in particular. Kennedy, a Latina pro-lifer posing as a potential "patient," strung the hawkers along while they offered her their services.

The card the receptionist gave me lists eight clinics, including a clinic in Ontario. When I called the Ontario clinic, the receptionist who answered said that the clinic had been closed for two years and had relocated to Baldwin Park, another working class Latino neighborhood. "The Baldwin Park clinic is only ten minutes away from Ontario," the receptionist assured me in Spanish. "I live in Ontario and I work in Baldwin Park," she said. The Baldwin Park receptionist told me that her clinic performs abortions on Wednesdays and Saturdays at noon. Apparently, Bugarin's clinics move frequently. The Los Angeles clinic apparently has moved, since on the card the Santa Ana receptionist gave me, one address is crossed off and a new address is penciled in. Victoria told me that she is tired of crossing things out on her flyers. "These flyers are old, they need to give me new ones," she said.