So a buddy of mine messaged me panicking about an unplanned pregnancy situation last Thursday. She kept asking “how much does an abortion even cost?” and honestly, I had zero clue either. Time to hit Google hard.
First thing I did was punch in “abortion prices near me” – total garbage results. Kept showing me these crisis pregnancy centers disguised as clinics. Sketchy stuff man. Pro-tip: always check if websites say stuff like “we don’t provide abortions” in microscopic font.
The Phone Call Shuffle
Next morning I started cold-calling actual clinics. My hands got all sweaty dialing Planned Parenthood. The lady sounded tired but nice. She broke it down real simple:
- Pill abortion: Like $500 if paying cash, cheaper with insurance
- Surgical abortion: Around $600 early on but jumps to $2000+ later
- But wait – extras! Lab work, ultrasound, consultations pile on
Called three more places. Prices were all over the damn place! This independent clinic quoted $250 cheaper but only took Medicaid. That ain’t helpful when you’re broke with crappy insurance.
The Real Shockers
Started digging into travel costs after seeing forum posts. Women driving 5+ hours? Hotels? Holy crap, the real price isn’t just the procedure:
- Gas money: If you’re rural, tank fills add up quick
- Time off work: One girl lost $400 wages plus sick days
- Babysitters: Moms paying $20/hr to hide this from kids
Found this funding nonprofit after asking around. They cover partial costs but have insane waitlists. My friend wouldn’t qualify anyway – their income cutoff was super low.
What Actually Ended Up Happening
Took all my scribbled notes and met my friend at Starbucks Saturday. She nearly choked on her latte seeing the totals. We called clinics together and she settled on the pill option – $580 after her insurance copay. Not including the $40 Uber rides and two days’ missed tips at her diner job.
Final gut punch? Her pharmacy charged $70 for anti-nausea meds nobody warned us about. The system’s rigged I swear. Still mad about it three days later.
