A recent opinion piece in the New York Times (The Women the Abortion War Leaves Out) written by a self-described pro-choice feminist, finally seems to shed light on the truth: pregnancy centers help women.
The author of the piece, Michelle Oberman, states that she was invited to spend a day with a pregnancy center in Oklahoma. Even though the center staff was aware of her opinion, they opened their doors and were willing to share freely about the services they offer and the clients they serve.
It made an impact.
Oberman realized, after hearing story after story, that women genuinely need support when facing unplanned pregnancies. Further, if they don’t receive that support, then they aren’t really in a position to freely choose what is best for them. Instead, they are forced into a course of action dictated by circumstances, financial pressures, and fear.
We in the pregnancy center movement have known this all along. “Choice” by definition requires more than one option. If there is only one option, there is no choice at all.
I applaud Ms. Oberman for visiting a pregnancy center and writing about her experience honestly. I hope that her piece will help people understand that women facing unplanned pregnancies need support, care, and encouragement- something pregnancy centers have been offering their clients for decades.