Addie Schlegel

Crisis Pregnancy Centers

I, myself, have been on either side of the abortion debate over the past few years.
CHANGE SLIDE ​I know what I believe now but I also know that beliefs change sometimes and
it’s not a bad thing when they do. Regardless of whatever you believe on this inc​redibly
controversial topic, I’d like to invite you to listen to what I have to say. First off, what is
abortion? By definition, abortion is the ending of pregnancy due to removing an embryo or fetus
before it can survive outside the uterus. ​CHANGE SLIDE​When you google abortion, 176
million results come up. Some of these are simply there to inform and some to persuade.
CHANGE SLIDE​There is ​so​much propaganda and persuasion out there that is genuinely,
pretty terrifying, even to people firm in their stance on abortion. Sometimes it can all feel
overwhelming and confusing. Take some of these images for example. ​CHANGE SLIDE x6
There are approximately 2,000 abortion clinics in the US and approximately 4,000 crisis
pregnancy centers. ​CHANGE SLIDE ​For those of you who don’t know what crisis pregnancy
centers are, they are ​CHANGE SLIDE​“​a type of nonprofit organization established to counsel
pregnant women against having an abortion.” ​CHANGE SLIDE​Taking away legal abortions
isn’t something I predict happening. Granted, it can happen but it most likely won’t because it
violates human rights in this country. The solution that some people have, because they can’t
make abortion illegal, is to run abortion clinics out of business. ​CHANGE SLIDE​They will
create centers called “First Choice Pregnancy Solutions,” “Birthchoice,” “Hand of Hope
Pregnancy Centers,” “Pregnancy Support Centers” and more. While these places are great at
providing care to pregnant women with the intention of keeping and providing for their baby,
they also try to get pregnant women seeking abortions to come in and they misinform her about
abortion and manipulate her out of getting one.
I visited one of these websites. It seemed fairly unbiased, gave accurate facts and used the
proper wording when referring to fetuses and abortions. It seemed 100% like a place that
provides abortions ​as well as​pregnancy information. However, this is not true. I also called
another center to see what a pregnant woman would be told if she was calling and looking for an
abortion. I was asked all the normal health information that would be expected. Had I confirmed
my pregnancy, when was the last date of my period, had I had an ultrasound, and various other
medical information. ​CHANGE SLIDE ​She told me when I came in I could expect to have an
ultrasound done to confirm the pregnancy, a counselor would sit down with me and ask me some
questions about my situation, I would be informed about all of the risks that go along with
abortion, my options would be presented to me and they would proceed from there. While this all
seems like good stuff, this center had no intention of providing me with the abortion I called
asking for. So, why is this a problem? It may not seem like a problem to you. A woman walks in
expecting an abortion, gets an ultrasound and ensures she is healthy, sits down with a counselor
to evaluate her mental and emotional stability, is provided with information about abortions and
if she doesn’t like or agree with what she’s hearing she can just,,, leave. This may be some
women’s experiences but this is not the majority. For most women, throughout the whole time,
their fetus is referred to as a baby, the information they are being given is not by medical
professionals and is not completely accurate and they are being silently judged about their
decision to get an abortion. They are being manipulated and they will most likely leave that
office confused, stressed, and guilt-filled.
One thing I mentioned that I want to be sure you understand is the difference between a
baby and a fetus. A baby can breathe, and it has a heartbeat and it kicks and it’s a person. A fetus
is a ball of cells, mucus, and tissue that form in the uterus when an egg is fertilized. A fetus is not
a baby. Not yet, anyway.
So, what’s the solution if there even is one? ​SLIDE CHANGE ​Be moral, be honest, and
be respectful. There is nothing wrong with the idea behind these places. They are acting on their
religious beliefs and trying to make the change that they believe needs to be made. What the
problem is is that they are trying to convince women who already know what they want that
what they want is wrong and that an abortion will cause so much harm to their mind and body
when in reality, it most likely won’t. I don’t think that either pro-choice or pro-life people are
arguing in the best way. Fear tactics and getting all up in your face aren’t the way pro-lifers
should be making change and trying to convince people to kill something they call a baby isn’t
the way pro-choice believers should be arguing. Instead, we should all be gathering information
and informing ourselves about the accurate and realistic results of abortions and also what it
takes to have and raise a kid, which is a lot. ​CHANGE SLIDE ​Stop trying to immorally
persuade and scare people and instead, teach. That’s how true progress is made.