All-Options PRC: The New Pro-Choice Center on the Block

You’ve probably heard of “pregnancy resource centers.” The term itself is the rebranding of the older “crisis pregnancy center” label. These centers tend to be run by pro-life groups intent on dissuading women from having abortions. When I was young, my mother spent time as a volunteer at one of these centers, counseling pregnant women and urging them against abortion. These centers have often been accused of using misleading advertising or coercive tactics to bring women in and convince them to keep unintended pregnancies, and many centers lie about things like the risks associated with birth control or abortion.

But today, there’s a new pregnancy resource center on the block—All-Options PRC.

When I first came upon this name and logo, I laughed. Anti-abortion pregnancy resource centers sometimes take misleading names that include terms like “choice,” but this seemed too far! And it turned out, it was. All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center is a new kind of pregnancy resource center—one that really does present all options. The center is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and is run by Backline, a nonprofit organization that runs a toll free counseling and pregnancy options line.

According to RH Reality Check:

Backline Executive Director J. Parker Dockray told RH Reality Check that many of the women who call the talkline are seeking information about all of their options and how they are related to each other. “None of theses decisions are made in a vacuum,” said Dockray.

. . .

Backline chose Bloomington as the site of the new clinic in part because neither the town nor the state are havens of reproductive freedom.

. . .

Women facing unplanned pregnancies or other reproductive health-care concerns will be able to come to the center for counseling, free pregnancy tests, support groups, and resources such as diapers, baby clothes, care packages, and educational materials. Medical and legal services will also be available through referrals. The center also intends to provide unbiased information about reproductive health, with the goal of supporting women in whatever decision they make.

. . .

“We know so many people who have abortions already have kids, and that’s part of why they make that decision in the first place,” said Dockray. “Why is it that you can go to one place to get counseling and an abortion referral and another place to get free diapers, but there are very few places you can go to get both?”

The decision to approach the issue from a reproductive justice perspective was done purposefully. “These decisions are not just about our individual values,” said Dockray. “There’s so much context that has do with social issues and geographic access that it all has to be a part of the conversation.”

Can I say how excited I am about this new clinic? I love everything about the project. Here’s the video from their fundraising page:

One thing I noted in my viral How I Lost Faith in the Pro-Life Movement post was that both access to effective birth control and better safety net programs for parents (especially things like affordable childcare) are more effective ways to bring down the number of abortion performed than banning abortion would be. If we improve access to birth control we cut down on the number of unintended pregnancies, and if we improve support for raising children more women who want to keep their pregnancies but don’t feel like they can, for financial reasons, will be able to do so.

Supporting choice means more than keeping abortion legal—though it absolutely does mean that. Supporting choice means ensuring that women have unrestricted access to a range of options. After all, having choice but only one viable option is no choice at all. Supporting reproductive freedom, in turn, means promoting women’s ability to choose not only whether they want to stay pregnant once they are but also when they become pregnant.

Planned Parenthood does an excellent job promoting women’s access to birth control, and they do provide informational resources for women who want to keep their pregnancies or are interested in looking into adoption. Still, Planned Parenthood clinics are not set up to do much more than that. Women interested in diapers and other material resources are typically limited to pregnancy resource centers, which provide inaccurate information about both abortion and birth control. All-Options aims to change this.

Here are the services All-Options offers:

Free Pregnancy Tests

We know how daunting it can be to go to the store and buy a pregnancy test, especially if you aren’t sure how you feel about the possibility of being pregnant. At All-Options, you can get a pregnancy test for free. No strings – do it here, or take it home with you. And if you want to talk, we’re here!

Peer Counseling

Our trained peer advocates are ready to listen and support you with open hearts and open minds. Whether you want someone to help you talk through your options, or you just need a friendly ear, we’re here for you. If you need support around abortion, pregnancy loss, parenting, adoption, or infertility, you’ve come to the right place.

Material Support

We can help you with resources like diapers, baby clothing, kids’ books and toys, condoms, and more. Our Hoosier Abortion Fund can help with the costs of travel or medical care.

Referrals & Resources

Need help finding assistance to pay your utility bills? Need some leads on prenatal care or contraceptives? Breastfeeding classes? Abortion care? Adoption agencies? GLBTQI support? Free HIV testing? We can link you up with fellow Hoosier organizations who care.

Support groups

Pregnancy and parenting can be messy and complex. We want you to know that you’re not alone. Beginning in 2016, we’ll host support groups for after-abortion support, pregnancy loss, parenting, and other topics that are important to you. Let us know if you have an interest!

The next time someone says that the pro-choice position is also anti-pregnancy or anti-children, send them to the All-Options website. Tell them pro-choice actually means pro-choice, and that means pro-options. I can only hope that this model spreads, and that All-Options clinics can both support women and change the national conversation about abortion and choice.