No one should pressure you to abort your pregnancy. It is emotional abuse, which, according to one study, can have negative effects on your mental health. Only you can decide the outcome of your unplanned pregnancy. If you are unsure what to do, schedule a free, confidential appointment with a caring team member to look at all your options.
You Have Three Different Options
Deciding how to handle an unplanned pregnancy is overwhelming, and it can even be scary. But you don’t have to make this decision alone or be pressured to make one choice over another.
At Southwest Options for Women, we want to give you the information you need to make an empowered decision for your future. Here is more information about your three options:
Abortion
Abortion is one of your choices, but don’t make this decision under pressure. A study published in the National Library of Medicine determined that women who felt pressured to abort dealt with the following negative emotions:
- Disruption of daily life, work, or relationships
- More frequent thoughts, dreams, or flashbacks of the abortion
- More frequent feelings of loss, grief, or sadness about the abortion
- More moral and maternal conflict over the abortion decision
- A decline in overall mental health
- More desire or need for help to cope with their negative feelings
Visit our abortion page regarding procedures, side effects, and potential risks. Although we do not provide or refer for abortion, we can give you detailed, factual information about the physical and emotional risks.
Making an Adoption Plan
Often, women do not consider placing their child for adoption because they don’t understand the process or have been misinformed. Like abortion, adoption is a difficult choice to make. It involves grief and loss but allows you to make choices that affect your child’s future.
For instance, the following are some of the choices you can make for your child:
- Who will raise them. You choose the adoptive parents.
- The type of environment you want for them. You choose whether they live in the city or country, have immediate siblings or are the oldest, etc.
- How much contact you wish to have with your child and their adoptive family.
- How much information they have about you.
- The ability to tell your child why you chose to place them for adoption.
We cannot directly place your child for adoption, but we can offer referrals to reputable adoption agencies who will provide more information about the process. Visit our adoption page to learn about the various adoption plans you can make.
Parenting
With a lot of determination and love, parenting is possible. You may be surprised at the resources available to help you parent your child, even if it means parenting on your own.
We can discuss your situation and come up with ideas for housing, continuing school or your career, finances, material necessities, parenting education, mentorships, and more. We can also offer referrals for community resources to assist you.
Every new parent has concerns and questions. Let us help you find solutions to see if parenting is right for you. Read more about what we provide on our parenting page.
You Are Not Alone
We encourage you to take a closer look at all of your options before you make a decision about your unplanned pregnancy.
If your partner is pressuring you to have an abortion and you are concerned for your safety, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. No one has the right to pressure you to make one decision over another.
If you need more information, free and confidential pregnancy-related services, or just a shoulder to cry on, we are here for you. Make a free appointment today to talk with us.