Women in crisis pregnancies are often scared. And they’re often told that Planned Parenthood is their only option, their only hope. And they’re also told that no matter what they choose, Planned Parenthood will be there to support them and help them through it. If they want to keep their baby, Planned Parenthood will be there to provide prenatal care. If they are considering adoption, Planned Parenthood will refer them to an adoption agency. But most importantly, if they want an abortion, Planned Parenthood can kill their preborn baby for them. The idea is that Planned Parenthood is a safeguard for a woman’s right to choose. The reality is quite different.
The facts could not be more clear: Planned Parenthood is in the business of abortion, plain and simple. Since Cecile Richards has taken over as president, the number of women who receive prenatal care and adoption referrals have plummeted. Planned Parenthood’s own staffers have admitted that they have no resources for women who don’t want abortion. And while the abortion lobby likes to pretend that women rely on Planned Parenthood for health care, that’s not true either — health care services like pap smears, breast exams, and cancer screenings have steadily fallen. The only thing that has risen is abortion. Yet people continue to perpetuate the myth that women need to go to Planned Parenthood if they want affordable health care, or are facing a crisis pregnancy.
Women have more options than just Planned Parenthood. And they should know it.
Comprehensive Health Clinics
Planned Parenthood loves to represent themselves as the best option for women needing low-cost medical care. But in actuality, they are far outnumbered by comprehensive health clinics. There are 13,540 health clinics across the country, versus 665 Planned Parenthood centers. Planned Parenthood serves only a tiny percentage of women when it comes to health care — less than 3%. Comprehensive health clinics are there to provide women with the health care that Planned Parenthood won’t.
Federally Qualified Health Clinics
Another option for low-income women? Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHCs) are non-profit or public health care organizations that offer services to anyone who needs it, regardless of their ability to pay. Unlike Planned Parenthood, FQHCs provide “comprehensive primary care services.” There are over 1,100 FQHCs throughout the country, operating at around 6,000 sites.
Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Frequently demeaned by the abortion industry, crisis pregnancy centers are there to help women who want to keep their babies — the women that Planned Parenthood completely abandons. And the abortion industry doesn’t want women to know that they even exist. And while Planned Parenthood doesn’t want anyone to know it, crisis pregnancy centers help pregnant women, not only during their pregnancy, but after as well. As pointed out above, Planned Parenthood often doesn’t have the resources to help women who choose life, but crisis pregnancy centers do. They can help direct women to a low-cost health care clinic that can provide prenatal care, give women free ultrasounds, and provide them with goods that they will need: maternity clothes, cribs, car seats, bottles, diapers, etc., all things that they could never expect Planned Parenthood to provide.
Adoption Agencies
Adoption is the choice that the abortion industry hardly ever mentions. As far as they’re concerned, women have two options: have an abortion, or be saddled with a pregnancy that they say will ruin their lives forever. Planned Parenthood documents have shown that they are not interested at all in presenting adoption as a viable option for women. But it is — and more women should know that. Many people still associate adoption with the Baby Scoop era, where women in crisis pregnancies had their children cruelly taken from them, usually under coercion, especially for teenage mothers, and the mothers would never see their children again. But adoption is different today. Open adoptions are a growing trend, where mothers who aren’t able to fully provide for their children can give their baby the gift of a stable life, while still being a part of the family, involved in their baby’s childhood. The truth is, adoption isn’t about giving up your baby; it’s about giving life, and that’s a much better option than abortion for everyone involved… both mother, and baby.
Post-abortion organizations
What happens after an abortion? Planned Parenthood doesn’t care. They collect their money, perform the gruesome procedure, and then send the women on their way. There is no way for women to get help from Planned Parenthood if they’re struggling afterwards with the decision they made. There are post-abortion organizations, like Rachel’s Vineyard and OptionLine, devoted to helping these women heal from the trauma they’ve experienced. Planned Parenthood emotionally abandons the women they claim to serve after they’ve finished with the grisly deed, but for many women, it isn’t over. It may be months or even years later, but Planned Parenthood won’t be there for them if they ever need help.
Despite what Planned Parenthood and their allies in the abortion lobby want you to think, women do not need Planned Parenthood. They have options, no matter what their situation may be. And if the abortion industry truly was about being “pro-choice”, they’d stop trying to prevent women from knowing about them.
