Insights in reproductive health research and practice from CompassCare's medical team.
Are there doctors who can initiate a medical abortion the same day you walk into their office? The answer is yes, they can start your abortion today. The question, however, isn’t whether they can, but whether they should. You trust your doctor to give you the best medical care possible. When you have a medical […]
Feelings of sadness, anxiety, grief, and guilt are normal emotions after an abortion. But why do we feel this way? Compromise asks us to give up something important to us in exchange for what we feel we can’t live without at the moment. In the face of immediate pain, we tend to set aside our […]
When faced with an unplanned pregnancy, it’s common to consider the option of abortion. However, the doubts and fears associated with that choice may be stronger than you anticipated. If you’re not sure that abortion is right for you, take some time and get informed about all of your options. Abortion alternatives include both parenting […]
“I was so afraid that by making the decision to keep my son that he was gonna leave, or he was gonna be mad at me, and he wasn’t. He’s been very supportive. He was very supportive through the whole pregnancy and our relationship has become stronger than ever.” Finding out you’re pregnant when you […]
Over half of all American women facing unplanned pregnancies report feeling pressured, or coerced, into choosing an abortion2. Pressure can come from anywhere – a partner, parent, sibling, friend, employer, or even a medical professional.
“Most of the pressures that we see are brought by those people that she cares about.
It’s really important for us to help her sort through all the voices that she’s hearing,
and those pressures that she’s hearing, to get to her voice.”
Coercion has become a growing topic of concern among those who want to protect the rights of women seriously considering abortion.
Recently, a bill was passed that would amend the penal code in the state of Michigan to include the Coercive Abortion Prevention Act3, prohibiting anyone from compelling a “pregnant female to seek an abortion”. As defined in the bill, coercion includes anything that would cause a reasonable individual to suffer “emotional distress”, such as:
Coercion goes beyond what is listed here. The term coerce means “to restrain or dominate by force; to compel to an act or choice.”1 It includes any psychological pressure, physical duress, verbal abuse or withdrawal of emotional support by loved ones. Facilities who stand to gain by your decision may provide misleading or incomplete information, making coercion by providers common. In a recent study, 84% of American women who had abortions stated they had not received adequate counseling beforehand2.
You have the right to unbiased counsel, free from external pressures. Contact CompassCare for a free, confidential consultation.
You’ve just found out you’re pregnant and you have some important decisions to make. Abortion… adoption… becoming a parent… Your head is spinning with what to do next. “I was only 17, in highschool, and I didn’t know how his father would react.I didn’t know how I would finish my senior year. I was completely […]