Are Pregnancy Resource Centers Fake Clinics?
Jill dreaded telling her friends, it was their senior year and she didn’t want to be the “Debbie Downer”. They had all made plans, things they wanted to do, places to go, adventures and experiences to have together. How could one mistake screw all that up? Why did she let him take off that condom? Not smart, she thought and sighed.
“Jill!!” Margo smacked Jill’s arm. Jill blinked at Margo, “What?” “Where are you today?”
“Sorry, just lots going on.” Jill paused and took a deep breath, “I have something to tell you guys.” She waited for her three friends to look at her. “I think I’m pregnant.” The air seemed to freeze as the word “pregnant” hovered in the air like a heavy fog.
Shut up!” Brianna exhaled, breaking the silence.
“Exactly.” Jill sighed, watching as her other friends stared at her in disbelief.
“What are you going to do?”, Courtney asked. Jill shrugged her shoulders, “I honestly don’t know. I’ve been googling stuff all day.” “Like what?” Margo asked, kindly squeezing Jill’s arm. “Abortion stuff,” Jill said, “Clinics. Laws. Everything. I actually found a Pregnancy Resource Center like two blocks from here.”
“Pregnancy Resource Center? What is that,” Brianna wanted to know. “Like a clinic? For abortions?”
“I’ve heard about them; they are like fake clinics or something”, Courtney spoke up as she began scrolling on her phone. “Says here that they aren’t even medical. Like no medical people work there. That they are just set up to make you keep the baby.”
“Wait,” Margo interjected, “like force you to adopt or discourage you from having an abortion?”
“This site says that Pregnancy Center workers are mean and judgmental and they will share your information!” Courtney exclaimed. “What the heck? That probably means they tell your parents.” “Oh no, I don’t want my parents to know!” Jill leaned closer to Brianna’s phone as she continued scrolling.
“Hang on. This Pregnancy Center has 15 five-star reviews. Listen,” Margot began to read, “it says that the people there are kind and the services are all free. Oh, they do free ultrasounds too! That’s nice. It looks like it’s really is confidential and you can get your questions about abortion answered. No judgement? That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“Yeah, but how many of those are fake reviews?” Courtney didn’t hide her skepticism.
Margo replied, “I highly doubt that all fifteen reviews are fake… and honestly how true are all the sites slamming the Centers? Like don’t they have an agenda too?”
“Conspiracy theories, here we go,” Brianna laughed and punched Margot’s arm.
Margo smiled, “Well, you aren’t wrong.” Turning to Jill she asked, “But what could it hurt? I can go with you, if you want. How bad can it be? At least you can get a free pregnancy test and an ultrasound, and find out whether you’re pregnant or not.” Jill was quiet as she thought about Margot’s reasoning. Courtney nodded and hugged Jill’s arm. Brianna laughed and grabbed Courtney, “Let’s all go together! I can drive us over after school.”
Sometimes, it’s hard to know what is true, especially when there is conflicting information coming from sources you trust. And while we can’t speak for every Pregnancy Resource Center, Journey House is passionate about serving the needs of women who may be facing an unplanned pregnancy.
Let’s debunk a few myths:
MYTH: “Pregnancy resource centers are fake clinics and have no medical staff.”
TRUTH: Journey House employs medical staff and provides care under the supervision of a Medical Director. All medical decisions, medical practices and standard of care are determined by the Medical Director, a licensed OB/GYN doctor from the community. Clients can meet with a Registered Nurse during all Center hours. The Nurse provides pregnancy testing (urine test), answers questions, and provides education about pregnancy options and precautions, such as miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. Limited OB ultrasounds are performed by a licensed RMDS-certified sonographer and are each reviewed by the Medical Director.
MYTH: “Pregnancy resource centers just want to preach at you.”
TRUTH: Journey House provides permission-based care; clients are treated with respect. Journey House staff and volunteers ask permission before discussing topics with clients, whether that is providing education about abortion procedures or talking about spiritual things. Journey House is committed to treating people with respect and compassion, regardless of their own personal beliefs or church affiliations. Journey House clients can confirm that the staff go above and beyond to make everyone feel seen, heard, and loved. Journey House staff and volunteers serve the needs of their clients, right where they are, helping to connect them with the practical and emotional help they need to move forward in life.
MYTH: “Pregnancy Resource Centers only want to save babies and don’t care about women.”
TRUTH: Journey House understands and respects the women’s right to make her own choice. Journey House offers abortion education and counseling regardless of the woman’s decision to abort or not, and offers on-going practical and emotional support. This also includes the decision to carry their baby to term or choose an adoption plan. Journey House offers help to vulnerable women to include assistance with housing, medical care, parenting support groups and counseling. Journey House sees the mother and baby as a whole and is equally concerned about the mothers’ needs being met
MYTH: “Pregnancy resource centers don’t have to follow HIPAA and therefore all your information will be made public.
TRUTH: Journey House chooses to follow HIPAA guidelines. Staff and volunteers are required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement and licensed staff must always comply with HIPAA or risk losing their medical licenses. All information is kept confidential, except in cases where reporting laws apply or if someone is believed to be in danger of hurting themselves or someone else. Journey House does not disclose any personal information to parents, friends, or partners, without written permission from the client.
MYTH: “Pregnancy Resource Centers judge you based on your decision…or situation, sexual identity, beliefs…”
TRUTH: We each have a story. Our life stories are filled with mistakes, difficult decisions, and heartache. Our stories have deep wounds from past abuse, abortion, broken families, broken marriages, single parenting, financial struggles, and loss. It is not our place to stand in judgement of someone else’s story. It is our firm belief that God—who made us for a purpose and who loves us more than we can imagine, has the power to take the shattered pieces of our story and weave together a beautiful story filled with hope, love, redemption, joy, and community. Journey House staff and volunteers do not discriminate based on race, sex, gender, or for any reason, but treats everyone with compassion and kindness.
——————–
Like many clients before her, Jill walked away from the Pregnancy Center feeling relieved and pleasantly surprised at the care she had received. Her pregnancy test had been negative, and she was thankful to have a safe place to talk to someone, no strings attached. “You guys were so nice! I’m definitely going to tell my friends about this place.”
We are here for you
If you have questions or want to schedule an appointment, please contact us.
Our services are always confidential.