Cheney's Ichoice clinic offers choices for reproductive and sexual health

By DAVID TELLER

Staff Reporter

In a world full of confusing influences for teens and young adults, finding the right answer when it comes to reproductive options can be difficult. Breaking the news to parents and friends is even harder.

Cheney has an option called Ichoice, which is a pregnancy and sexual wellness resource center.

The clinic's director, Charlotte Affeldt, stresses they do not “refer for,” nor perform abortions. She said the clinic not only explains options to young adults and teens experiencing unplanned pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases, known as STDs, but it also educates people on healthy relationships.

Affeldt said discussions about healthy choices centers on sex before, during, and after a committed relationship and examining the danger of exposure to numerous sexual partners. She said abstinence is the most effective defense against unplanned pregnancy and STDs.

“If you're not truly committed to one person, STDs are a greater risk,” Affledt said.

She added that Ichoice wants clients to explore their relationships and decide if the experiences they have had in prior relationships are truly what they want and determine whether they are satisfied with those outcomes.

“They have to make those determinations, ultimately,” Affeldt said.

Aside from education, the clinic provides free pregnancy tests and free ultrasound examinations. She said the clinic also provides free obstetric care for the first trimester of pregnancy.

Unplanned pregnancy happens a lot because of poor decisions made from misconceptions, one of them being that, “Everyone is doing it.”

“That's not true,” Affeldt said. “But that's a perception.”

She pointed out how some teens and young adults are abstaining, but lots of them are not. The young culture exudes sexuality, and she said many young people say they are pressured.

Affeldt recalled one student's comment about sex that, “It's expected. If we don't have sex, we won't have a boyfriend,” the girl told Affeldt.

To relieve the pressure, Affledt counters with questions like, “Is what you are getting from your relationship good for you?” “Is the relationship meeting your needs as you're meeting someone else's needs?”

The frequency of unplanned pregnancy has a surprising pattern. Affeldt said there is a higher frequency of unplanned pregnancy in high school students than in college. She said the reason is probably another misconception: “It won't happen to me.”

Teenagers are risk-takers and Affeldt said they really don't think it will happen to them. She said they see it happening to somebody and it doesn't dissuade their actions. Even when they see their friends getting pregnant the reaction is, “That's them, not me.”

Affeldt said anyone sexually active is at risk, not only for pregnancy but also STDs. She said people do not realize how easy their life can change.

“I think most females don't have a very good idea how easy it is to get pregnant, amazingly enough,” Affledt said.

She explains that Ichoice is here to give unexpectedly pregnant young women a feeling of hope and non-judgmental information. Affeldt said the clinic is somewhere for them to go, especially when friends turn on them by criticizing.

“They're not going to hear that here,” she said.

When visitors come to the clinic for testing, Affeldt said they usually have a pretty good idea of their condition, via home pregnancy. She said when the test comes back positive, there are a lot of tears. She added that concerns about how to tell their parents, even for the college students, are the next obstacle. That task falls on the girl as the clinic does not reveal personal medical information due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. Affeldt said the clinic does not tell parents. Even in cases involving minors, Ichoice is restricted from sharing the information.

She added the only exception is in cases of rape and/or incest.

Ichoice started last year, but has a clinic already established in Spokane. Affeldt said the clinic got off to a slow start, but last Christmas was busier than expected. She said it seems to depend on the time of year.

Ichoice is at 519 B Street in Cheney. People concerned can call 235-4673 to make an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome too.

David Teller can be reached at [email protected]