In today’s turbulent political climate, speaking the truth is often an act of bravery.
Lately it seems like many who are willing to speak up are met with malice, anger, and even threats. To make a stand for what’s right during this time is noble, but it is also increasingly rare.
Standing up to a big business with vast resources and passionate supporters is even more rare.
But Choices Pregnancy Centers in Phoenix, Arizona is doing just that. When the abortion giant Planned Parenthood tried to halt laws geared toward helping women discover their options, Choices stepped up.
Choices Cares for Women
Choices Pregnancy Centers is a nonprofit, privately funded community health center. Since 1983, Choices has walked with many women through their pregnancies, providing a listening ear and giving them real choices.
Choices is built on the idea that pregnant women should have access to all the resources, support, and time they need to make an informed decision about their future—and their baby’s future.
Women facing unplanned pregnancies may feel pressured to make a quick decision. But Choices offers them hope and gives them room to step back, take a deep breath, and weigh all their options.
By contrast, if abortion businesses can rush women through their doors and into the procedure room before they contemplate important information about their unborn baby’s development and the resources and alternatives available to them, more women will have abortions. And more abortions mean more money for those offering them.
So it’s not surprising that Planned Parenthood decided to challenge Arizona laws ensuring that women have time to reflect and investigate their options.
Arizona’s Laws Are Bad for Planned Parenthood’s Business
Arizona law helps ensure that women considering abortion understand all their options.
The state requires abortion providers to tell women critical information about her unborn child, the abortion procedure, and available alternatives. It also requires that providers give women at least 24 hours to reflect and research after receiving that information.
For example, abortion providers must tell a woman that agencies and services exist to assist her during pregnancy and after birth if she chooses not to have an abortion. They must also tell her about a website listing those agencies and that a printout of that information is available free of charge.
These requirements focus on giving women an opportunity to reflect on critical information and consider all their options. And for the nation’s largest abortion provider, that’s bad for business.
Planned Parenthood decided to bring a legal challenge to the guaranteed 24-hour window for women to reflect and investigate before making an irreversible, life-altering decision.
Choices could have stayed silent.
They have multiple locations and thousands of clients, and they rely on donations to continue their service. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood receives hundreds of millions of dollars in tax money and is worth well over a billion dollars.
But Choices knew that they needed to take a stand for Arizona women. They’ve worked with so many women who suffered from crushing psychological trauma and regret after getting an abortion.
So Choices asked to intervene in the case Planned Parenthood Arizona v. Brnovich and help defend Arizona’s laws. On March 2, a federal court granted its request.
There are so many things that the media and our culture label as “brave.” But the decision Choices made to take on Planned Parenthood on behalf of Arizona women is truly brave. Choices is standing by its mission to walk with women through unplanned pregnancies—even if it means going to court to try to ensure that they have the time and information they need.
Maureen Collins is a writer for ADF Legal.
