All the options

An 18-year-old woman suspects she is pregnant. She doesn't know where to go or whom to talk to.

First, she needs a pregnancy test. Numerous places in Southeast Missouri offer free confidential tests.

Birthright International's Cape Girardeau chapter and Crisis Pregnancy Center counsel those getting pregnancy tests. At one of these locations, women can expect to be counseled to avoid abortion and contraception (including emergency contraception such as the morning-after pill) because these organizations were formed from Catholic-based principles. However, both organizations classify themselves as interfaith and are composed of members from several denomenations.

The Cape Girardeau County Public Health Department offers free pregnancy tests, but will not counsel the person receiving the test. If the test is positive, the health department will recommend counseling at Lutheran Family and Children's Services or the Community Counseling Center.

If the pregnancy test indicates that the woman is indeed expecting, she needs to know where she can get counseling. Some organizations give pregnant women information about every legal option she has, including emergency contraception and abortion. Other locations will not give information about contraception and abortion.

If a woman were to consider abortion, she would have to drive to a Planned Parenthood facility in St. Louis.

---

Three locations in the area are faith-based, pro-life pregnancy counseling centers -- Birthright International, Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri and Crisis Pregnancy Center. The three privately funded, not-for-profit organizations have different approaches to counseling but provide similar services. None of the organizations has medical professionals on staff. All are volunteer-based.

Birthright International

The Cape Girardeau chapter, which has been operating for 34 years, is a pro-life organization that will not discuss abortion and contraception as options, even in cases of rape. While a woman is pregnant, they provide support counseling and medical recommendations. The operation also offers adoption referrals, toddler and children's clothing, financial assistance and maternity and infant supplies.

Director Michele Moon and assistant director Joyce Gibbar oversee about 60 volunteers. Article 1 of their manual says, "It is the right of every pregnant woman to give birth and the right of every child to be born." They serve more than 100 women each week and have counseled women from ages 12 to 50.

Contact information: 335-0750, 2633 Hopper Road, Cape Girardeau

Crisis Pregnancy Center

This organization, which has been running for 12 years, is based on the Pearson Foundation's pro-life pregnancy outreach principles. The center provides a 24-hour crisis hot line and financial assistance to expecting mothers.

Marjie Eftink, the organization's president, said the staff use the Pearson Foundation's handbook "How to Start and Operate a Pro-life Outreach Pregnancy Service Center" for their inspiration. An excerpt of the Pearson handbook reads: "Do not indicate you are pro-life. If she is seeking an abortion and indicates she won't come in because she knows we are pro-life, assure her we can still help her by giving her all the information on abortion."

According to Eftink, a woman who goes in for a pregnancy test and is interested in abortion will be shown a graphic video showing different stages of abortion.

"It's about human rights principles," Eftink said. "We want to do whatever we can to talk them out of having an abortion."

Contact information: 335-8495, 354 Silver Springs Road, Cape Girardeau

Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri

The Cape Girardeau location, which has operated for more than 30 years, provides childbirth preparation services, adoption referrals, job skills assistance, GED assistance and counseling. The staff discuss contraception only to pregnant mothers who want to prevent future pregnancies. The staff will not discuss abortion with pregnant women.

Many women who come here have been referred by other organizations including Birthright, the Crisis Pregnancy Center and the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Department. "Most of the young women who come to us have heard about us from somewhere else," director Molly Strickland said.

Contact information: 334-5866, 2911 Breckenridge Drive, Cape Girardeau

Three not-for-profit locations in the community provide all-options pregnancy counseling, which includes abortion, emergency contraception, adoption and birthing the child.

Community Counseling Center

The center presents all legal options for pregnant women for free through its Emergency Services division. Fewer than five women a year come in for this type of counseling, according to Judy Johnson, director of the center. Johnson said any organization offering pregnancy counseling should be upfront about its beliefs with its clients. "They should put their philosophy out there right away with anyone interested in them," Johnson said.

Contact information: 334-1100, 402 S. Silver Springs Road, Cape Girardeau

East Missouri Action Agency

The agency is mostly federally funded and has several divisions dedicated to serving low-income individuals and families. It also has Title X funding, through which agencies receive federal grants for family planning.

The Women's Wellness Center provides pregnancy tests for $6 to $10 on a sliding scale. The center offers free pregnancy counseling, which provides all legal options. According to Angel Prather, the Women's Wellness Center director, few women seeking pregnancy counseling want abortion information, with an average of two women per year interested in referrals. The center's main purpose is screening for cervical and breast cancer in low-income women, but it will see any woman regardless of income if she comes in.

"We will talk to any woman who comes in about what they want to do," Prather said.

Contact information: 334-2516, 1111 Linden St., Cape Girardeau

Southeast Missouri State University Center for Health and Counseling

This center provides services for Southeast students who need pregnancy tests and free all-options counseling.

Contact information: 986-6191, Dearmont B1 Wing, One University Plaza, Cape Girardeau

sludwig@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 211