A Signal Hill team member recently visited a local walk-in-clinic to talk to them about offering our Pregnancy Resource Guide to women facing an unplanned pregnancy. The clerk at the front desk responded to her enquiry by saying, "every day girls come into this clinic with unwanted pregnancies and we simply refer them to an abortion provider". The clerk said it as though it was clear in her mind; these pregnancies were "unwanted".
Though we know approximately 278 abortions are happening every day in Canada1, it is still shocking to be faced with the reality that they are happening so frequently in our own communities.
In a recent discussion, the Signal Hill team members realized that each of us has heard, on various occasions, stories of doctors automatically referring women with unplanned pregnancies to abortion. Although the women in these stories didn't plan on being pregnant, they also never would have considered abortion. These women tell us that they were first given information about abortion without any acknowledgement of any other options. We feel that too often, this is the case.
Statistics verify our observations that women are not being given information about alternatives to abortion. In a recent study of American women, 79% reported not being told about alternatives and 67% received no counseling at all.2
So that brings us to the ultimate question. Is an uninformed decision really a choice? Clearly it is not. Signal Hill is committed to providing education and support that empowers women to take control and make informed, healthy and life-affirming decisions.
The Pregnancy Resource Guide is currently being distributed to doctors' offices, pregnancy centers and walk in clinics to fill this information void. But we need your help to ensure every woman in BC has access to this valuable information. If you know a location where this resource is needed, please let us know. You can call our office at 1-877-7SIGNAL or email cwest@thesignalhill.com.
1. Statistics Canada, 2006 Statistics (most recent available)
2. VM. Rue et. al. Induced abortion and traumatic stress: A preliminary comparison of American and Russian women, Medical Science Monitor 10(10): SR5-16, 2004.
