Re: Critics of the Saskatoon Pregnancy Options Centre are demanding that abortion be promoted at the expense of actually helping women
For 10 years, the University of Saskatchewan college of medicine has allowed non-medical placements at the Saskatoon Pregnancy Options Centre. This is a part of the college’s community and workplace centred learning experience module. An organization, like the Saskatoon Pregnancy Options Centre, dedicated to providing resources and support to pregnant woman seems to fit right in with the objectives of that module. But now the university is facing pressure to cease allowing non-medical placements at the centre despite the good work they do. The only reason against the centre is the fact that they don’t promote abortion. They, instead, hope women “will choose the gift of life”.
Women freely walk into the Saskatoon Pregnancy Options Centre and are able to have free pregnancy tests, gain information, and receive support. The centre does nothing, nor could do anything, to prevent women from having abortions, but provides practical support for those seeking to choose other options. The fact that some people want only to promote abortion should not detract from the real good that this centre does in their community. If this is really about “choices”, then there should be no issue with a centre that is dedicated to supporting women who choose to parent or to give their child up for adoption. The backlash is not about helping women, it is about promoting abortion.
Tabitha Ewert
(Tabitha Ewert is Legal Counsel for We Need a Law, a national advocacy group that mobilizes Canadians for the purpose of passing laws that protect pre-born children.)
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
