Pregnant?
& don't know what to do?
If you're facing an unplanned pregnancy, we know you probably have a lot on your mind right now. We want to provide a safe place for you to talk openly about how you are feeling, and to help you sort through your thoughts about all of your options so that you can make a confident and informed decision.
Before having an abortion in Arizona, you are required to obtain an ultrasound to determine how far along you are, the viability of your pregnancy, and to rule out tubal pregnancy. This procedure will equip you with the information you need to consider all of your options and next steps.
Hands of Hope Tucson can offer you a free pregnancy test and ultrasound. They are a great place to go at any point in your decision making process. Their team of caring medical professionals and peer-counselors are dedicated to creating a safe environment that advocates for and empowers women and their partners facing unplanned pregnancy.
Their beautiful medical office is located at the corner of E. Knight Drive and N. Beverly Ave (5240 E. Knight Drive, Suite 122). Please click here to view their website and make an appointment with them.
If you would like to get connected with a trained Pro-Love Tucson sidewalk advocate who cares about you and wants to walk with you through this process, please contact us. We offer this support at no cost to you; she will listen to you and be a support to you with no strings attached. You can communicate with her in person, through phone, text, or email.
Beautiful girl... life is tough, but so are you.
A Love Letter to a Girl Considering Abortion
Hello,
If you’re thinking about having an abortion, I ask you to take a few minutes to read this letter. I’m sure you’re aware this is a big decision—something that can’t be undone once you do it. I don’t know you so obviously I don’t know your situation, your beliefs, or your reasons for considering abortion. But, if abortion is an option, I do know this pregnancy comes at a bad time.
Here are a few things to consider:
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Is this pregnancy devastating to your life or is it more like an inconvenience?
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Are you making this choice because it’s truly what you want, or do you feel like you have no other choice?
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Have you thought about how you may feel afterwards? Keep in mind that abortion doesn’t erase the pregnancy and let you go back to how things were before. You’ll always know you were pregnant and for some, this can be a difficult memory to carry.
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If faith is a part of your life, have you considered how your beliefs may impact your emotional response to an abortion after it’s done?
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Are you certain you have all the information you need to make this decision (have you thoroughly considered all your options, are you being supported in this decision, is anyone pressuring you into this decision, have you received information about fetal development and any possible risks associated with the procedure you’re considering)?
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Is there any part of you that feels disappointed about not continuing this pregnancy?
I encourage you to consider these things for this reason. In 1984 when I was 18 years old, I had an abortion. At that time we didn’t have the internet and it was difficult to find information about abortion. I felt very alone, was afraid of how an unplanned pregnancy would affect my plans for the future and my relationship with my family, and I made my decision in a vacuum. Even now, with how easy it is to access information, some women still make this decision without considering how it may impact them in the future.
I know we’re not the same person and just because I struggled with my decision for many years afterwards, it doesn’t mean you will have the same experience. However, if you have any doubts at all about whether or not abortion is the right decision, I encourage you to wait and take some more time to consider your options.
Pro-Love Tucson can provide you with information about where you can go for confidential, non-judgmental help as you consider this potentially life changing decision.
You may think you can’t continue your pregnancy and still have the life you want, but I’m here to say “don’t sell yourself short”. You can do anything you put your mind to and there is help available. You don’t need to do this on your own.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth
A Love Letter to a Girl Considering Parenting
Hello,
Facing an unplanned pregnancy can feel like time is standing still, especially if you were doing everything you could to avoid an unwanted pregnancy.
I know personally the feelings that can accompany an unplanned pregnancy. I know what it is like to contemplate an abortion due to overwhelming fear. The feeling of panic and isolation. The thought of letting loved ones down. The end of your life as you know it…at least these were some of the things that were going through my mind when I stared at those two pink lines.
I instantly went into survival mode and self-preservation. I had plans… and dreams… and they did not include a baby at age 20. This place of survival was where I was emotionally when I walked into the abortion clinic, however once inside I wasn’t so sure.
What I would ask you to consider before making your decision is to pause for a moment. Find a place where you can sit and be safe…where you can have time to process your feelings and emotions. A place where people listen to your needs and concerns.
During one of the scariest times in my life I was embraced by people who showed me grace and unconditional love. They cared about ME…not just my baby. They told me that I was valuable in my own right and that I could still pursue my dreams and goals as a mother if that is what I chose. It was acceptance and support that eventually gave me the courage to continue the pregnancy and see beyond my fear.
I ultimately made the choice to carry and parent my child. My son is now 17 years old and I am so glad that I made the decision to continue with the pregnancy. I honestly can’t imagine life without him. Single parenting was not always easy, but it was so worth it.
Today I am happy and have no regrets. If you are contemplating an abortion I don't judge you. I get it. I care about you. I care about your future and the future of the life you carry within you. I believe there is a way for both you and your child to thrive during and after an unplanned pregnancy even if you are not able to see that right now. You are not alone. There is help closer than you think.
Sincerely,
Lisa
A Love Letter to a Girl Considering Adoption
Dear Warrior Princess,
Also known as my birth mother.
You may not feel it now but one day I will smile back and know…
MY HANDS because of YOU were given a chance to hold happiness
MY EYES because of YOUR choice were given an opportunity to embrace vision
MY HEART because of YOU is given a chance to love
MY SOUL because of YOU is given a chance to embrace the winds of this life
and is able to soar…
Mother be brave and do find rest.
God has me now- He will keep me safe in his hands…
I know you might think I don't understand what you are going through, but I do. I wrote this poem not just because my birth mother chose to give me life but also because I was a teen mother myself and I was told that everything would be okay. It has been 13 years since I've given birth to a beautiful baby boy who is now officially taller than I am! When I look at him my heart is happy- and I am reminded that things will always be okay. That is what I want to share with you today- things will be okay.
Sincerely,
Mayra
A Love Letter to a Girl Who is Unsure
Hello,
I know we do not know each other, but you and I have more in common than you may think. It wasn’t too long ago that I was facing my own unplanned pregnancy here in Tucson. In 2016 I entered our local abortion clinic across from Tucson Medical Center. It was there that I received an abortion consultation.
I remember that they would not let my boyfriend in with me, so I had to go in scared, alone, and without any support. When they asked me if I wanted to see the sonogram, I said no, because I knew if I said yes I would have changed my mind. After they charged me for the ultra-sound ($80) I scheduled my abortion appointment. Because I had an IUD (intra-uterine device) still in my uterus, the medical abortion was not an option for me. They told me it would be $500 for the surgical abortion plus $150 to remove the IUD.
I wish I could tell you in the two days leading up to the surgical abortion that I prayed about it, talked to my family about it, and after informing myself of all my options decided to change my mind. I wish I could tell you that my child is alive and is the greatest blessing of my life, and that my parents and boyfriend’s mom are overjoyed at the birth of their first grandchild, and that my sister loves being an aunt. But, none of this is true.
In the two days leading up to the surgical abortion I kept my unplanned pregnancy a secret, stuffed down my doubts, and never even told my family. I just wanted it all to be over so I could go back to my normal life and never think about it again. In fact, the opposite happened. After my abortion I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and to this day I miss my child. The worst part about the abortion, which I found out later, was that abortion facilities, including Planned Parenthood, dispose of the aborted babies’ bodies at a medical waste facility, never to be honored or treated with the dignity that human remains deserve.
I tell you all this to encourage you to do the due diligence I never did. Please talk to your family, pray about it, get a picture of the sonogram, and do your research on how they dispose of the baby’s body parts if you are having a surgical abortion. With any medical intervention, it is important to be informed about the process so you know what to expect. Visit www.abortionprocedures.com to hear from a practicing OB-GYN about how surgical and medical abortions work. Research for yourself the side effects of mifepristone and misoprostol, the pills used in medical (‘RU-486’) abortions. Seek information from unbiased sources that won’t make a profit from your decision. If you have any doubts at all, don’t rush into this decision- you have time. Having an abortion is permanent and something you can never take back once it is done.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter. I know it may feel that abortion is your only option right now, and yet I’ve learned from experience that it isn’t the quick fix many would like it to be. My experience has shown me that there is a way for you and your baby to thrive during and after this unplanned pregnancy. We would love to come alongside you to help in any way we can. You are brave, strong… and there is hope.
“True courage is not in knowing when to take a life, but when to spare one.”
Sincerely,
Gabriela Maya, Post-abortive mother and Pro-Love Tucson sidewalk advocate