Choice or no choice

I was moved by this article, and wondered why this day in age was someone counseled so poorly about her options during pregnancy. The following article is an undercover investigation at UCLA, and deals with a student going to the health center to hear her "options" about her pregnancy. The health center sounds like they did a horrible job of assisting her and other students, only presenting them with the option of Abortion. I can't believe that a well known school like UCLA wouldn't present someone with all of the options. It makes me feel that women haven't come as far as we think we have, especially since a pregnant college student is only given abortion as an option. I'm exasperated at the health center staff.....read on....

ALEXANDRIA, VA January 22, 2007 – Reacting to a student newspaper’s investigative report of pregnancy counseling techniques at UCLA, Feminists for Life is offering a plan to support “the rest of the choices.”

A UCLA student newspaper launched its inaugural edition today with a story based on a reporter's undercover investigation of questionable counseling techniques at the student health center.

Lila Rose, a sophomore at the University of California-Los Angeles, posed as a pregnant student seeking support for an unplanned pregnancy from the UCLA health center. The Advocate, a new student newspaper, reported today that university health center employees strongly advised Rose to abort, citing the lack of support on campus and the discomforts of pregnancy.

According to Rose, counseling was directed towards abortion, and there is no real support for women who choose parenting—marital, partnered or single—or various adoption options. The Advocate reported that the nurse practitioner explained the difficulties of pregnancy and revealed that most of the students she talks to terminate their pregnancies. "UCLA doesn't support people who are pregnant and make things easier for them necessarily," the nurse practitioner said.

The student health center staff informed Rose that while UCLA had two medical providers of abortion on campus ready to assist, Health Services had no support for a woman who wanted to continue her pregnancy, The Advocate reported. The Advocate was founded by UCLA students who have formed a pro-life and pro-woman group called Live Action. Rose is editor in chief of the new publication.

Feminists for Life President Serrin Foster has extended an offer to help, noting lack of resources and support are common in higher education but that Feminists for Life has helped other campuses bring various university stakeholders together to support pregnant and parenting students.

Lack of resources and support are common in higher education. “They don’t know how to deal with a pregnant student.” said Foster. In an attempt to help the student stay in school they often refer for abortion. Other choices are not supported. “On-campus resources and links to off-campus support are needed to solve this.”

Feminists for Life began to address the lack of resources on campus nearly ten years ago, when Foster hosted the first-ever FFL Pregnancy Resource Forum at Georgetown University in 1997. A panel discussion included an unprecedented range of stakeholders: administrators, community resource providers and students on both sides of the abortion debate. They took an inventory of resources and prepared a blueprint for progress in order to give women support for “the rest of the choices.”

The inspiration was the experience of an FFL board member. In 1995 a Feminists for Life then-board member highlighted the lack of resources on campus when she revealed that she had become pregnant in college and was abandoned with no support. “Without housing, day care and maternity coverage it didn’t feel like I had much of a choice,” she said.

With the help of FFL’s pregnancy resources forums, Georgetown within a few years addressed critical needs including housing, child care, insurance, communication and support, becoming a model for the country. Feminists for Life brought the program to Harvard, Berkeley, University of San Diego, Stanford, Notre Dame, University of Chicago, Northwestern, St. Xavier, University of Virginia, and others.

"Policies and procedures for helping pregnant and parenting students should not be a secret. Students, as well as pregnant and parenting staff, should know who to go to for help and what support is available." said Foster.

Creative solutions emerged at campuses like Wellesley, where students held a rummage sale in support of pregnant students. Berkeley students raised funds to install 22 new diaper decks for 1,000 parenting students enrolled there. University of Virginia students organized a babysitting service for parents, primarily law school students. Feminists for Life promoted telecommuting solutions early on, to expand parents’ options for completing their education.

Inspired by FFL’s Pregnancy Resource Forum, the state of Michigan passed model legislation in 1999 to host Pregnancy Resource Forums and create on-campus resource centers for pregnant and parenting students. The idea progressed to the federal level in 2005, with the introduction of the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Act on Capitol Hill. Reintroduction of the bill is expected. If passed, $10 million dollars will fund up to 200 colleges to host annual forums and create on-campus pregnant and parent student services offices.

“Feminists for Life is proud to be a catalyst for change, and is ready to help UCLA and other colleges across the country provide pregnant women and parenting students with the services they need and deserve,” said Foster.

Feminists for Life carries on the tradition of Susan B. Anthony and other early American feminists who sought to address the many reasons that drive women to abortion – primarily lack of resources and support.

www.feministsforlife.org