by Jarrett Conner

February 1--Over 95% of women who are considering abortion choose life after seeing an ultrasound image of their child.

That is the experience of "A Woman’s Concern" in Dorchester, which helps women deal with unplanned pregnancies. It began showing ultrasounds of unborn babies to mothers in August.

Since that time, when given a chance to actually see the child in their womb and having access to the resources and other support that come from A Woman’s Concern, the women are choosing life.

Debbie Peterson, the staff member who operates and reads the ultrasounds, explains the role of the clinic.

"We offer a real choice. Abortion clinics don’t give all the information, they don’t give an ultrasound, and they charge for their services. So they have a vested interest in having a woman choose an abortion."

Centers Become Medical Facilities

Massachusetts has a wealth of pregnancy-care centers (also called "crisis pregnancy centers") dedicated to counseling women who are struggling with an unplanned pregnancy. The centers help women get medical care, housing, employment, adoption information and access to other resources which allow them to choose life rather than abortion. Now, more of the centers are looking to establish themselves as medical facilities as "A Woman’s Concern" has done.

"Pregnancy Help," in Brighton, is not a medical facility, but it has access to the facilities of St. Elizabeth’s hospital. Ultrasounds are available free of charge to women who want them. "It is a resource that we have through our affiliation with the hospitals that we can pass on to the clients who are abortion-minded," Leslie Collins, Director of the program, told Massachusetts News.

Paul Murano, President and Director of "Heartbeat," in Burlington, says this about having an ultrasound on site, "I think it is incredibly great that programs like A Woman’s Concern are offering ultrasounds. That is such a lifesaving tool. We know that if a woman sees her child in an ultrasound, it is an incredible deterrent to her killing the child. And if you have it right there, on the premises itself – it is a great thing to do." Heartbeat is not a medical facility but helps to pay for ultrasounds at a local facility.

Medical Professionals

John Ensor, Founder of A Woman’s Concern, explains that medical professionalism is the focus: "Ultrasounds are not regulated right now, although they will be soon, but my approach for A Woman’s Concern and my recommendation for other pregnancy-care centers is that they become medical facilities first."

Lynn Bizbee, Vice President of "Care-Net," a pregnancy-care network which is headquartered in Virginia and associated with over 500 centers nationwide, says that the transition to medical facilities is becoming common among care centers across the country. 

"About ten percent of our centers are medical now," she says, "It does change the focus of a center in that their clients become patients, which alters the approach somewhat."

Planned Parenthood Uses It

Abortion clinics, like Planned Parenthood, have ultrasound equipment, but the equipment is not employed as part of the woman’s decision-making process. According to Planned Parenthood, 50% of women who go to Planned Parenthood in Massachusetts receive ultrasounds (this figure includes women who get an ultrasound through their own physician). Five percent of those "choose not to go through with the procedure" after seeing the images of their baby, according to a Planned Parenthood spokesperson.

Massachusetts Citizens For Life

Ray Neary, President of Massachusetts Citizens For Life, fully endorses the pregnancy care centers in Massachusetts. "We at Mass Citizens for Life are great admirers of the pregnancy care centers."

Neary continues, "We are thrilled that centers like A Woman’s Concern are offering mothers medical services. As medical facilities, the centers have more resources which can encourage a woman to bring a child into the world. We are fortunate that we have more pregnancy care centers in Massachusetts than abortion clinics."

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