On December 2, the Supreme Court will hear First Choice Women’s Center v. Platkin, a case that could finally draw a line against the growing effort to marginalize and intimidate pregnancy help centers.
As someone who has worked with these centers for years, I have seen them weather an increasingly aggressive barrage of scrutiny, sometimes through individual actions but more often through organized and well-funded media campaigns, loosely organized violent activists, and government bodies at every level using endless legislation and litigation.
What have these centers done to attract the ire of so many? They committed the “unpardonable offense” of offering parenthood at a time when advocates of limitless abortion insist that childlessness is the only true “freedom.” They offered families – children, siblings, grandchildren, motherhood, and fatherhood – to those who were urged to avoid long-term relational commitments. They offered unconditional love, sacrificial giving, abundant joy, and tolerable sorrows when the abortion industry and its allies wanted to elevate self above all else. They offered “all life has dignity” heterodoxy when “my life alone has value” orthodoxy is demanded.
Almost all accusations aimed at pregnancy help centers boil down to one theme: “They are lying to you.” The supposed dishonesty includes deceptively enticing women through their doors, delaying until abortion is no longer a safe option, misleading them about the physical, mental, and spiritual harms of abortion, and operating “fake clinics.”
I have become intimately familiar with at least seven pregnancy help centers in Illinois and passingly familiar with several others. As President of the Board of Directors for Aid for Women, I can speak specifically about the day-to-day functioning of our eight centers. But it is fair to assume that most medical pregnancy help centers operate in a substantially similar way.
Aid for Women does not lure women under false pretenses. We receive no government funding and rely on individual donors, foundations, and small fundraising events, which leaves us with a very modest advertising budget. With few exceptions, women come looking for our help. Most find us through online searches and see immediately on our website that we “do not provide or refer for abortions.” Others hear about us through friends or relatives who have used our services themselves. No one is being led to our offices with false promises of an abortion.
Even though we don’t provide abortions, our clients come to us because, quite frankly, the idea of having an abortion does not sit well with them. They know they can go to their local Planned Parenthood for an abortion, but they come to us anyway. They may be considering an abortion, but are still searching for help, reassurance, and hope that motherhood might be possible after all. They may need housing, help getting health insurance, help finding a doctor, or simply a compassionate listener, and they wonder if they might find those things at Aid for Women. They do.
Many want to know how far along they are, whether the pregnancy is viable, and what the downside of abortion might be. Our certified ultrasound technicians and registered nurses answer those questions free of charge. And just as important, they want to know whether they might still be able to mother this child despite their circumstances. Our trained client advocates listen to their concerns and provide support for as long as the woman needs it, including well after the birth of her child.
Once at Aid for Women, we schedule an ultrasound as soon as the pregnancy is believed to be in its 7th week, or even sooner in special circumstances. At that point, the ultrasound can determine the pregnancy’s location, estimate gestational age, and detect the fetal heartbeat. The client receives these results immediately, giving her the time she needs to make an informed decision.
Aid for Women is no “fake clinic.” We offer free consultations with licensed RNs, medical-grade pregnancy tests, ultrasounds performed by certified sonographers, and oversight by a licensed physician. Abortion advocates label us a “fake clinic” for one reason only: we do not offer abortions. Readers can decide for themselves whether that moniker is honest.
The Supreme Court now has an opportunity to give real protection to pregnancy help centers that have been targeted simply for their pro-life stance. The Court should make clear that governments cannot use investigative power to punish organizations for offering life-affirming alternatives to abortion. Pregnancy centers deserve the same constitutional protections as any other nonprofit, and women deserve access to support without political interference.
The ruling in First Choice Women’s Center v. Platkin will determine whether these centers can continue their life-saving work without fear of unconstitutional persecution.
Beth Rodriguez is President of the Board of Directors of Aid for Women Chicago.