>> DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, THANKS
VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> LAST WEEK, WE HEARD FROM
THREE WOMEN WHO HAVE HAD
ABORTIONS.
TONIGHT, CONTINUING OUR SERIES
ON ABORTION IN WISCONSIN, WE
BRING YOU A STORY ABOUT WHAT ARE
CALLED PREGNANCY RESOURCE
CENTERS, WITH DOZENS OF THESE
NONPROFITS ACROSS THE STATE
ENCOURAGING WELL TO KEEP THEIR
PREGNANCIES ADVOCATING AGAINST
ABORTION.
REPUBLICANS WANT TO PROVIDE THEM
WITH STATE FUNDING, BUT CRITICS
WARN OF THEIR NON-ACCREDITATION
AND SOMETIMES FALSE INFORMATION.
STEVEN POTTER HAS THIS STORY.
>> AT FIRST, I WANTED AN
ABORTION BECAUSE I NEVER WANTED
KIDS, BUT AFTER I HEARD HIS
HEARTBEAT, IT MADE IT DIFFICULT
FOR ME TO GET AN ABORTION, I
GUESS.
>> ABORTION BECAME ILLEGAL IN
WISCONSIN MORE THAN A YEAR AGO
WHEN SUPREME COURT RULED THAT
STATES WOULD INDIVIDUALLY DECIDE
ON ABORTION ACCESS.
THAT LEFT STANDING A WISCONSIN
LAW PASSED IN 1849 THAT
EFFECTIVELY BANNED ABORTION, AND
BECAUSE OF THAT, SOME
ORGANIZATIONS SAY THEY'VE BECOME
MUCH BUSIER.
>> WE ARE SEEING A LOT MORE
WOMEN COMING IN THAT, YOU KNOW,
ARE SEEKING OPTIONS BECAUSE THE
ABORTION ISN'T READILY AVAILABLE
HERE.
>> THAT'S RU RITA NECESSARY,
MANAGER FOR NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION IN WAUKESHA COUNTY
CALLED LIFE'S CONNECTION.
>> LIFE'S CONNECTION IS A
MEDICAL, EDUCATIONAL AND
RESOURCE CENTER.
>> THE ORGANIZATION OFFERS
PREGNANCY, S.T.D. TESTING,
PRENATAL COUNSELING, ADOPTION
SUPPORT, AMONG OTHER SERVICES.
>> WE CAN SEE ANYONE FROM A TEEN
ALL THE WAY THROUGH MARRIED
COUPLES THAT COME IN AND JUST
WOULD LIKE OUR LABOR AND
DELIVERY CLASSES OR TO PREPARE
FOR PREGNANCY OR NEWBORN CARE.
THIS IS OUR ULTRASOUND SUITE.
HERE'S WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO
REALLY CONNECT MOM WITH BABY.
AGAIN, SEE THAT TRUE
DEVELOPMENT.
WE CALL IT THE WINDOW TO THE
WOMB.
>> BUT ONE THING THEY WON'T DO
AT LIFE'S CONNECTION IS REFER
ANYONE WHO IS PREGNANT FOR AN
ABORTION.
>> WE DON'T OFFER REFERRAL FOR
ABORTION, BUT WE DO EDUCATE.
WE HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT
ABORTION WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR
THEM AND FOR THE BABY NOW AND IN
THE FUTURE AND HOW PHYSICALLY
AND EMOTIONALLY THEY COULD BE
IMPACTED.
>> ACCORDING TO CHOOSE LIFE
WISCONSIN, THERE ARE MORE THAN
70 PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS
LIKE LIFE'S CONNECTION AROUND
THE STATE.
AND BECAUSE OF THEIR PRENATAL
SUPPORT AND THE FACT THAT THESE
ORGANIZATIONS DON'T REFER
PREGNANT PEOPLE FOR ABORTIONS
AND DO ACTIVELY DISCOURAGE
ABORTIONS, SOME REPUBLICAN
LAWMAKERS IN WISCONSIN THINK
THEY SHOULD RECEIVE STATE
TAXPAYER FUNDING.
>> IF YOU WALK INTO A PREGNANCY
RESOURCE CENTER, THEY'RE NOT
GOING TO REVERE YOU TO AN
ABORTION.
THAT'S NOT WHY THEY EXIST.
>> STATE SENATOR ROMAINE ROBERT
QUINN, HAS INTRODUCED
LEGISLATION TO FUND THESE
CENTERS, WHICH ARE SOMETIMES
CALLED CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS,
WITH STATE MONEY.
HE'S PROPOSING GIVING THE
CENTERS $1 MILLION PER YEAR.
THAT MONEY WOULD BE FUNNELED TO
THE CENTERS THROUGH GRANTS
ADMINISTERED BY CHOOSE LIFE
WISCONSIN.
THE SENATOR SAYS THE STATE
SHOULD PROVIDE THE MONEY BECAUSE
THESE CENTERS DO NECESSARY WORK.
>> THEY JUST GIVE AN ENORMOUS
AMOUNT OF SUPPORT AND SERVICE
AND A PLACE FOR FAMILIES TO GO
THAT THEY'RE QUESTIONING AM I
READY FOR THIS PREGNANCY OR
MAYBE IT'S UNEXPECTED OR MAYBE
I'M FLEEING AN ABUSIVE
RELATIONSHIP AND FOUND OUT I'M
PREGNANT, SO THERE'S SO MUCH
GOOD THEY DO.
>> GABRIELA BOLDON SAYS SHE
WASN'T PLANNING TO GET PREGNANT
A YEAR AGO.
>> I TOOK A PREGNANCY TEST AND
IT WAS POSITIVE AND I STARTED
CRYING.
IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT I
WANTED, I GUESS.
I WAS GOING TO PLANNED
PARENTHOOD FIRST AND IT'S
ACTUALLY RIGHT NEXT TO THE LIFE
CONNECTIONS IN WAUKESHA, SO I
SAW, LIKE, ULTRASOUNDS AND STUFF
RIGHT ON THE SIDE SO I WAS,
LIKE, WE'RE GOING TO GO HERE AND
SEE WHAT, LIKE, THEY OFFER.
>> DURING HER VISIT WITH THE
NURSE AT LIFE'S CONNECTION, SHE
SAYS THEY DISCUSSED ABORTION AND
SHE WAS GIVEN AN ULTRASOUND.
SHE FELT ENCOURAGED BY STAFF AT
LIFE'S CONNECTION TO HAVE THE
CHILD AND BECOME A MOTHER.
>> I WAS ASKING HER, LIKE, WHAT
IS -- LIKE HOW DO ABORTIONS WORK
AND SHE WAS JUST TRYING TO,
LIKE, WEIGH OUR OPTIONS AND TO
SEE WHICH ONE WAS BETTER AND
JUST TO GIVE US, LIKE, WELL,
GIVE ME HOPE THAT I COULD DO IT.
IT WAS AFTER WE SEEN AND HEARD
THE HEARTBEAT IS WHERE I SAID,
NO, I DON'T WANT TO GET AN
ABORTION ANYMORE AND I JUST
WANTED TO KEEP HIM.
>> NECESSARY FLOREZ SAYS THAT L
BELIEFS IS THAT ABORTIONS ARE
HARMFUL TO WOMEN.
>> A WOMAN THAT GOES THROUGH AN
ABORTION IS GOING TO BE IMPACTED
EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY, AND
SO AT NO POINT WOULD IT EVER BE
SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR
HER IN ANY WAY.
>> THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF
HEALTH, HOWEVER, SAYS THAT
HAVING AN ABORTION DOES NOT
INCREASE A WOMAN'S RISK OF THE
HEALTH DANGERS OFTEN CITED BY
PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS.
NOR DOES IT INCREASE THE RISK
FOR MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES.
SARA FINGER LEADS THE WISCONSIN
ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH.
SHE SAYS THE PREGNANCY RESOURCE
CENTERS ARE SPREADING
MISINFORMATION.
>> THE KIND OF INFORMATION THAT
THEY'RE GIVING IS OFTEN ACTUALLY
FULL OF LIES.
THEY HAVE STUDIES THAT ARE
SHOWING HOW THESE WEBSITES AND
THE CENTERS THEMSELVES ARE
TALKING ABOUT FALSELY CLAIMING
THAT ABORTION WILL INCREASE YOUR
MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES.
THEY'RE FALSELY INDICATING THAT
YOU CAN -- ABORTIONS WILL LEAD
TO BREAST CANCER OR IN INFERTIL,
AND THESE ARE ALL LIES.
>> PHYSICIANS GROUPS HAVE RAISED
RED FLAGS ABOUT PREGNANCY
RESOURCE CENTERS.
>> AND THE AMERICAN MEDICAL
ASSOCIATION, WHO IS A
PREDOMINANT LEADER IN TERMS OF
HEALTHCARE IN THIS COUNTRY AND
THE PROVIDERS AND THE AMERICAN
CONGRESS OF OBSTETRICIANS AND
GYNECOLOGISTS BOTH HAVE BRIEFS
WARNING PEOPLE ABOUT THE DANGERS
AND THE UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR OF
THESE FAKE CLINICS.
>> FLOREZ REJECTS CLAIMS THE
PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS
PROVIDE MISLEADING INFORMATION
TO THEIR CLIENTS.
>> WE TELL THEM EXACTLY WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE TO PARENT, WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE TO ADOPT -- TO
CONSIDER ADOPTION AS AN OPTION
AND ALSO WHAT ABORTION WOULD
LOOK LIKE FOR THEM, SO I FEEL
THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, AS
TRUTHFUL AS WE ABSOLUTELY CAN
BE.
WE DON'T HIDE ANYTHING.
AND THEN WE GUIDE THEM TO
WHATEVER SERVICES THAT THEY
MIGHT NEED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
REFERRING FOR ABORTION.
>> SHE ADDS THAT ORGANIZATIONS
LIKE HERS COULD CERTAINLY
BENEFIT FROM THE STATE FUNDING
BEING PROPOSED IN SENATOR
QUINN'S LEGISLATION.
>> WE ARE A 501(c)(3), SO THAT
MEANS EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AS A
NONPROFIT IS DONE BY DONATIONS
EITHER BY INDIVIDUAL OR BY, YOU
KNOW, A CHURCH, AND ANY OTHER
KIND OF A GROUP THAT WOULD LIKE
TO DONATE TO US.
>> BUT FOR SARA FINGER FROM THE
WOMEN'S HEALTH ALLIANCE, THAT
CONNECTION BETWEEN PREGNANCY
RESOURCE CENTERS AND FAITH-BASED
ORGANIZATIONS IS ANOTHER REASON
THAT THE CENTERS SHOULDN'T GET
STATE FUNDING.
>> I'M SORRY, BUT IF THERE'S
EVEN ONE DOLLAR OF TAXPAYER
FUNDED MONEY GOING TOWARDS TO
SUPPORT THESE FAKE CLINICS, WHO
ARE NOT LICENSED, WHO ARE NOT --
THEY'RE NOT REGULATED, THEY'RE
NOT ACCREDITED, AND THEY DON'T
HAVE TO FOLLOW HIPAA
REGULATIONS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO
PROTECT YOUR FOR THE REST OF OUR
LIVES AND YOUR CONFIDENTIALITY,
WHY ARE WE EVEN CONSIDERING
PUTTING A SINGLE DOLLAR TOWARDS
THESE FAKE CLINICS ANYWHERE IN
THIS COUNTRY?
>> SENATOR QUINN SAYS HE'S
UNBOTHERED BY ANY FAITH-BASED
CONNECTION GNAT PREGNANCY
RESOURCE CENTERS HAVE AND SAY
THE CENTERS DESERVE FUNDING.
>> I DON'T CARE WHO DOES THE
WORK.
THEY'RE DOING GREAT WORK, SO IF
IT'S FAITH-BASED OR NOT
FAITH-BASED, IT'S NOT A CRITERIA
THAT'S A MUST, SO IT SHOULDN'T
BE THE OTHER WAY THAT YOU CAN'T
BE THAT.
I GET FRUSTRATED SOMETIMES WHEN
PEOPLE CALL THEM FAKE CLINICS OR
THINGS LIKE THAT AND IT'S LIKE,
YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY BABY IS
GOING TO BE ABORTED, AND SO FOR
THOSE FAMILIES THAT WANTED TO
RAISE A CHILD AND WANT SUPPORT,
WHY NOT SUPPORT THEM AND SUPPORT
THE VERY CENTERS THAT GIVE THEM
THE SERVICES, THE CLASSES, A
SHOULDER TO LEAN ON AND TALK TO?
>> REPORTING FOR "HERE AND NOW,"
I'M STEVEN POTTER.
>> NEXT WEEK ON HERE DISPOWN, A
REPORT ON THE LAWSUIT OVER THE
1849 ABORTION BAN NOW IN PLACE,
WITH BR PRACTICING PHYSICIANS
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW BEST TO
PROVIDE CARE TO THEIR PATIENTS.
YOU CAN ALSO TUBE INTO A
ESSENTSPECIALSERIES OF REPORTS E
TITLED HOW WE GOT HERE, ABORTION
IN WISCONSIN SINCE 1849.
FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER
ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN, VISIT
OUR WEBSITE AT PBS WISCONSIN