Dear Abby: My friend’s house was damaged in a hurricane and she lost a lot. She was one of the lucky ones. Others in her community lost everything. One of her friends started a GoFundMe to help with repairs, and it is now up to thousands of dollars.
She’s now on her third trip to Europe this year. She is constantly spending, has thousands of dollars in debt and tells me she’s broke. Granted, two of the trips were partly funded by her partner. Normally, she would post details about her trips on social media, but this time she’s not. Instead, she’s posting pictures of her house construction and implying that she’s there.
I’ve considered outing her on social media, but I decided against it. I just can’t get beyond what she’s doing and don’t think I can continue my friendship. Am I justified? — Full Disclosure In Florida
Dear Full Disclosure: Yes, you are justified. What you have described is fraud. Go online to your friend’s GoFundMe page and find the “Report” button. Because you have reason to believe she is misusing the funds that have been contributed for the repair of her house, use that “Report” button to alert Go-FundMe about this potential issue. They will investigate.
Dear Abby: I am a 14-year-old who had an abortion last year. I’m not sure who the father is, and I don’t want to go through that again. I want to get birth control, but I’m afraid my parents or my brother will find out. They would kill me. I already have a bad reputation. I don’t want a worse one by having someone find out I was pregnant.
What would be the safest way for someone my age to get birth control? I know you’ll probably say “no sex” is best, but I enjoy it too much now. It’s a habit. — Grown-Up Girl In Rhode Island
Dear Girl: I have never heard of a girl in this country being killed because she had sex, so your fears about your parents doing that are overblown. Your mom may not be thrilled, but she won’t kill you. You need her guidance now.
If you continue on the path you’re on, having sex with multiple boys, you may have more to worry about than becoming pregnant. Some of the sexually transmitted diseases around today could cause you to become sterile at a time when you may want a child.
Planned Parenthood (plannedparenthood.org) can provide you with birth control. It can also inform you about STDs and how to avoid them. Because you feel you can’t stop from having sex, contact them as soon as possible, preferably before the next time you indulge your habit.
Dear Readers: For all of you who observe daylight saving time: Don’t forget to turn your clocks forward one hour at bedtime. I look forward to it because it signals longer days ahead. — Love, Abby
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips and was founded by her mother,Pauline Phillips.Contact Dear Abby at P.O.Box 69440,Los Angeles,CA 90069 or visit
www.DearAbby.com