Groups concerned by grants promoting pregnancy over abortion
By Jim Vertuno
San Antonio Express News
December 13, 2005 Groups concerned by grants promoting pregnancy over abortion
With Texas soon to award $5 million in grants to crisis pregnancy centers that promote childbirth over abortion, some abortion rights groups complain the money is being taken from clinics that provide medical care and contraception. The Legislature voted in the spring to spend the money to implement a statewide program "for women seeking alternatives to abortion focused on pregnancy support services that promote childbirth." Only two so-called crisis pregnancy centers — Texas Pregnancy Center Network of Bellville and The Heidi Group of Round Rock — have bid for the two-year contract, which the Texas Health and Human Services Commission is expected to award this month. Abortion rights groups such as Planned Parenthood complain the program will divert money from health clinics that often serve poor women to groups whose primary goal to persuade women from having abortions. About 79,000 abortions are performed in Texas each year. According to the Heidi Group Web site, it is a Christian-based group that offers pregnant women hope "through a relationship with Christ." It also says the groups offers free pregnancy tests and "limited medical services." The site also offers advice on how supporters can get their church involved and urges Christians to be involved in politics and education. "Women are not going to get medical care," said Sarah Wheat, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas Foundation. "They're being sent to get preached to." The Texas Pregnancy Center is associated with Real Alternatives, a Pennsylvania-based organization that offers girls and adults help on how to avoid "forced" abortions, describes abortion procedures, offers to put women in touch with counselors and promotes abstinence. Wheat said money that will go to one of those groups would not have been spent on abortions — state law prohibits that — but could be used for contraception that could prevent pregnancy. According to NARAL Pro-Choice Texas Foundation, Texas has among the lowest rates in the country of women who had a pap smear in the last three years, which can be key in detecting cervical cancer, and among the highest in teen pregnancies and births to teenagers. The Heidi Group referred questions to Shirley Thompson, president of the Texas Association of Women's Resource Organization. She said the organization includes resource centers, including adoption agencies and counseling. Thompson said whoever wins the contract will be prohibited from conducting state-funded religious proselytizing, but that the Legislature set a clear goal of promoting childbirth over abortion. "You can't evangelize with government funding," Thompson said. "(But) the Legislature saw the same desire to actively promote childbirth. The Heidi Group is already in that area of service and fits what the state was looking for."
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