What do you say in response to pro-choices who say that pro-life crisis pregnancy centers are staffed by faith-based counselors and not trained healthcare professionals?

prolifeproliberty:

First, I always clarify that pregnancy centers are independent organizations, so each one is going to be unique. There are a couple of larger umbrella organizations that many centers are members of (Care Net and Heartbeat International being the main two) which do regulate the centers to a certain extent, but not all centers are part of those organizations. That’s why I use OptionLine (Heartbeat International) and Care Net’s website to find pregnancy centers, because they only list those who are affiliated with one of those groups.

Even then, there are different kinds of pregnancy centers. The two primary categories are referral centers and medical centers. Referral centers provide, well, referrals, in addition to peer counseling, classes, and limited material support (diapers, formula, etc).

These centers are great at connecting women with the services they need in their communities. Because they don’t offer medical services (besides maybe pregnancy tests, which don’t require medical training), they are often staffed by volunteers who just want to help women in need. Many are Christian, because part of our Christian faith tells us to support those in need.

Medical centers have trained medical staff (usually nurses and ultrasound technicians, sometimes physician assistants or OB/GYNs) who offer limited medical services at low or no cost. These services vary by center and depend on what kind of medical staff they have, but can include pregnancy tests, sonograms, STD testing and treatment, well-woman exams, and prenatal care.

Most communities have multiple pregnancy centers, and each center meets different needs in the community. I have yet to find a pregnancy center that intentionally lies about its services, but not all pregnancy centers are the same. If you walk into a referral center expecting medical care, you’re in the wrong place. However, that referral center can help you find the services you’re looking for.