Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, has confirmed to Inside Higher Ed that it will cover abortion costs for its students starting in the fall.
CT News Junkie reports that the university plans to cover all out-of-pocket costs for abortion procedures after insurance coverage has been met. It will also be paying for transportation to and from the abortion facility and providing pain-relief medication following the procedure. The university will also be providing free emergency contraceptives like Plan B.
The push for abortion coverage was headed by the Wesleyan Democratic Socialists, which launched a petition drive garnering more than 700 signatures.
“Although Wesleyan is located in a state which protects the right to abortion, the renewed focus on reproductive care has illustrated the ways in which the University could better provide accessible care to people with uteruses. We strongly believe that Wesleyan should adopt these policies to ensure all students are able to overcome financial burdens and lack of transportation for abortion procedures,” the online petition read.
An Instagram post from the university group states:
What we demand:
FREE SAME-DAY CONTRACEPTIVES. Free emergency contraceptives (Plan B and Ella) for students regardless of insurance plan.
FREE OFF-CAMPUS ABORTIONS. Covered costs for off-campus abortions, INCLUDING safe transportation to and from the clinic regardless of insurance plan.
ASSISTANCE WHILE OFF CAMPUS. Assistance for those seeking care during summer breaks, winter breaks, and while abroad where possible (for example, counseling on options, on-campus housing, help with obtaining aftercare – pain relievers, counseling, etc.)
In an Instagram post outlining these demands, the Wesleyan Democratic Socialists make the case that because the university has a large endowment, it should take on abortion costs. “The average cost of a pill-based abortion at Planned Parenthood West Hartford is between $576 and $662, and in-clinic abortions (surgical) tend to cost between $600 and $1000… This isn’t affordable for many students (but should be affordable for a University with a 1.56 billion dollar endowment).”
“Having an unwanted pregnancy would affect every aspect of a student’s Wesleyan experience,” reads the Instagram post. “The decision to terminate a pregnancy can be emotionally taxing, and having to worry about the logistics of accessing safe and affordable care creates an undue burden.”
In a press release, the Wesleyan Democratic Socialists praised the university’s concession. “Wesleyan now plays a pioneering role in reproductive healthcare among private liberal arts colleges by committing to cover the entire cost of abortion after insurance for all students,” the group said.
However, when someone offers to pay for an abortion, such as an employer or a woman’s university, it puts further pressure on her to go through with an abortion she may not want. Sidewalk Advocates for Life recently exposed the tragedy of this abortion coercion in a documentary video.
The pro-abortion students’ demands make it appear that abortion is the only way for a college student to successfully manage a pregnancy, yet countless mothers have managed to complete college and raise a child. Instead of using its funds to support pregnant and parenting mothers (as another campus did), the university is instead telling these mothers that they will only be supported if they kill their children.
