“A woman doesn’t make an abortion decision because it’s a good choice for her. A woman makes an abortion decision because it’s her ONLY choice!”
This line has become a driving force for pregnancy center workers across the country as we lean in and listen to what our clients are saying. More and more, we are learning that she is not “choosing” to have an abortion. She is TRAPPED into making this choice. She doesn’t want an abortion in the same way she wants a new car or new shoes. She “wants an abortion in the same way a trapped animal wants out of that trap and will gnaw its foot off to be free.” For many clients, abortion appears to be the only possible
solution to an utterly impossible situation.
A center in Ohio recently conducted a broad survey of women in their community. They found out the top 5 things a pregnant woman needs to stabilize her situation and allow her to carry her baby to term:
1. Housing
2. Reliable transportation
3. Access to child care
4. Sufficient income and food resources
5. Access to medical care.
After hearing of the study, I conducted a brief interview with several former abortion-minded clients and abortion recovery program participants.
We often hear women say that they have no support. One woman said, “My boyfriend at the time—the father of the baby I was carrying—was mentally and emotionally abusive. He told me I was trash and nobody would want me. I guess deep down I believed him. I couldn’t just leave, because he told me he would hurt me.”
One woman shared that she struggled with housing issues and didn’t have sufficient income to support a baby. She needed to finish high school, didn’t have access to medical care, and lacked child care options. In short, she had no support. Having an abortion felt like her only option.
A friend who was not a client experienced several unexpected pregnancies. She too had trouble finding housing, had no income, and received no support from the man she was dating at the time. After several abortions, she came to the end of herself and found forgiveness and healing in the cleansing love of Jesus.
A younger client said she had no support, needed to finish her education, had no transportation, nothing for a baby, and no options for child care. There were safety issues as well. “My dad wasn’t willing to let me [have the baby] because I was so young and wouldn’t graduate.”
The Ohio study showed that when those five things were in place, women were less likely to abort. We see this reflected in answers from women facing a difficult pregnancy who chose to carry their babies to term.
One client was months behind on rent, but her landlord was willing to work with her. “Because of so many doctor appointments and my overall stress level, it was really hard for me to work a lot during that time. Thankfully, since I got caught up , I have not fallen behind once.”
Another woman was still trying to make it work with the father of her baby but had also found a place in town. “When I was pregnant [I struggled with having] housing, transportation, food. [My] income is better now than when I was pregnant or she was a baby. I can provide for her on my own if I need to.”
Another young client said that her boyfriend was not supportive of her pregnancy. “I lived with my parents. They helped me buy a car and always had food. I got most of my [baby] supplies from the center.”
These are just a few stories, but they allow us a glimpse into the heart of the abortion-vulnerable woman and a clearer vision of her needs. Pray for wisdom and direction for our board and staff as we move forward in exploring advanced programming that we could incorporate to truly meet those needs.
Rather than simply offering “information” and “resources,” centers that have adopted this client-care model experience greater success in transitioning clients from abortion-minded to likely-to-carry. Addressing the urgent needs listed above empowers women to carry their babies to term.
Thank you for the critical role you play in this work!
By Michele Martin
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