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October 22, 2018 13:57
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October 22, 2018 13:46
Blogger
How Ultrasound Technology Has Transformed Discussions of Abortion
A nonprofit organization based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Real Alternatives has helped hundreds of thousands of women through a compassionate approach that makes it easier to choose life over abortion. Now an official partner with government social services agencies in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan, Real Alternatives also offers extensive information on the development of babies in utero as a resource for women contemplating abortion.
Ultrasounds, now a staple of prenatal medical care, provide detailed views of the development of an unborn child. In fact, the precision of ultrasound technology played a significant role in increasing public support for the pro-life viewpoint, as it enabled a new generation to see that unborn babies possess the physical characteristics of full human beings. As such, science has transformed the public conversation about abortion.
For example, in its 1973 decision on abortion, the US Supreme Court relied on then-current medical thinking that an unborn child stood a chance of achieving viability outside the womb at 28 weeks. Today’s advances have moved that figure closer to only 22 weeks.
A range of recent surveys show the influence of ultrasound technology on the public’s views on abortion. One of these, produced by the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, reported that almost 80 percent of women surveyed chose to have their babies after viewing an ultrasound photograph of their child in the womb.
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October 17, 2018 00:48
Real Alternatives’ History of Offering Help and Hope
Real Alternatives
Image: realalternatives.org
Since the 1990s, the Pennsylvania-based nonprofit Real Alternatives has offered free counseling and pregnancy-related services, as well as information designed to help women understand alternatives to abortion. The organization’s history parallels that of government-financed alternatives to abortion in the state, with Pennsylvania’s 1993-1995 budget specifically marked to fund such measures.
Originally known as the Morning Star Project WIN Advisory Council, Real Alternatives received a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (now the Department of Human Services) in 1997 to provide its pregnancy and parenting services programs across the state. That year also saw the start of a toll-free crisis hotline that helped to reach larger numbers of women. Demand for the organization’s services rose, and it was soon working with more than 600 new clients every month.
State officials then increased the budgeted amount for the organization’s programs to more than $3 million annually for fiscal year 1997-1999. Over the course of that period, well over 15,000 women took advantage of the group’s programs.
In 2001, Pennsylvania’s governor authorized $1 million in federal funding for the organization’s services through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Three years later, Real Alternatives earned the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations’ Seal of Excellence.
In 2013 and 2014, respectively, Michigan and Indiana established similar partnerships with the group, which has assisted over 300,000 women to date.
October 17, 2018 00:21
Blogger
Sexually Transmitted Diseases Are on the Rise
Real Alternatives serves women in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan through a network of crisis pregnancy centers that provide free counseling, adoption information and referrals, and ongoing material support for the first year of a baby’s life. In addition, the nonprofit offers resources on sexual health, including how to identify and prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
The number of people affected by sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, has risen in recent years. The National Institutes of Health has differentiated some two dozen STDs to date and estimates that they infect close to 20 million people annually.
Individuals of any age or social background can contract STDs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young adults between 15 and 24 years of age, as well as pregnant women, are among the groups most at risk for common STDs such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. Many women do not know they have contracted an STD, because they may remain symptom-free, yet the complications women experience are typically more severe than those experienced by men.
A major reason for the increase in the number of STD cases is that sexually active individuals today often have a greater number of partners over their lifetime. The CDC points out that the most effective means of avoiding STDs are abstention from sharing needles and abstention from sex outside of a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship.
October 14, 2018 18:36
Blogger
Real Alternatives Supports Pregnant Women and Lowers Medical Costs
Pregnancy centers can be a lifeline for women who feel pressured to have abortions. When a woman calls or visits a pregnancy center, she will find trained, compassionate counselors on hand who will talk with her about her emotions and circumstances and assist her throughout her pregnancy.
Real Alternatives administers pregnancy support and parenting programs at more than 135+ pregnancy support centers, social service agencies and maternity homes in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan. At these centers, caring counselors provide individual support for clients, who also receive everything from maternity clothes to day-care referrals depending on their needs.
The state’s investment in Real Alternatives has paid off. The program saves the state money in medical and societal costs, as women under the care of these centers are more likely to get regular prenatal care and have a decreased risk of low-birth-weight babies. Clients also are more likely to vaccinate their children on schedule.
As a result, many states are modeling outreach programs after those of pregnancy support centers that partner with Real Alternatives. That means more women are receiving support and counseling during their pregnancies and for up to a year after the child is born.
October 14, 2018 18:27
Polls Show Many Americans Support Life-Affirming Services
Real Alternatives
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A January 2018 Marist Poll found that 56% of Americans consider abortion to be morally wrong. According to the Marist Poll, more Americans than not (more than 20%) think that abortion does a woman more harm than good, in the long run. A 2018 Gallup poll found that 48 percent of Americans believe that abortion is morally wrong; a 2017 Pew poll found that 44 percent of Americans believe having an abortion is morally wrong.
The thoughts and beliefs reflected in these polls, as well as modern medical advances that make it difficult to deny the humanity of an unborn child, have been consistently moving in support of life. Women are seeking life-affirming options and more and more women are choosing not to abort. Fourteen states in America now fund programs to provide alternatives to abortion to women in unexpected pregnancies. Women in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan in need of pregnancy support can call Real Alternatives at 1-888-LIFE-AID.
October 9, 2018 12:22
Blogger
Advice for Women Pressured to Have an Abortion
Real Alternatives has assisted upward of 300,000 women with crisis pregnancy services. The Pennsylvania-based nonprofit partners with government social service agencies in three states to deliver the help that can make all the difference in a woman’s choice to keep her baby.
Real Alternatives wants to be sure this message goes out to women in crisis: It is against the law to force any woman to undergo an abortion. No one, not the baby’s father, and not even her own parents if she is a minor, can make that decision for her. No doctor is permitted to perform an abortion without the individual woman’s informed consent; to do so means risking loss of his or her medical license.
Women unwilling to go through with an abortion should tell every staff member that they have not agreed to the procedure. If a physician attempts to perform the procedure, the woman - even if she is not yet 18 - has the right to say no. She can additionally tell the physician that she intends to file a lawsuit should she be forced into an abortion.
Trained, empathetic counselors are available at 1-888-LIFE-AID at any time of the day or night, to help women understand their rights and options, and to connect them with financial and social service support.
October 9, 2018 11:58
Monogamy, Abstinence Can Keep You Safe from STDs
Real Alternatives
Image: realalternatives.org
Almost 20 million Americans are affected by an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) annually, according to the National Institutes of Health, and the number is rising, as more people engage in a risky sexual lifestyle by having more sexual partners over the course of their lives.
STDs often do not present symptoms, making it especially important for people who are sexually active and who have multiple partners to get tested regularly. Women, in particular, are less likely to experience symptoms. If left untreated, STDs can be passed to sexual partners and develop into serious health conditions such as AIDS. Medical professionals can treat many STDs effectively if they are detected early.
Behaviors such as sharing needles and living a risky sexual lifestyle can lead to the transmission of STDs. The only 100% way to ensure that you do not contract an STD is by abstaining from sex and/or by committing to a relationship where both partners are monogamous (choose one mate for life) and do not have an STD.
If you are sexually active and not in a monogamous relationship, you can still reduce your risk of getting sexually transmitted infections. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends reducing the number of sex partners and to get tested immediately for STIs.
If you are concerned about whether you have an STD, call 1-888-LIFE-AID to speak with a counselor who can provide more information and a referral for confidential testing. To find a STD testing center near you, go to https://gettested.cdc.gov/.
October 2, 2018 16:50
Blogger
Pregnancy Support Centers Dedicated to Helping Women
Committed to helping women to find life-affirming alternatives to abortion, Real Alternatives possesses a network of pregnancy support centers designed to help women during and after their pregnancies. Real Alternatives' experienced counselors provide new and expectant mothers with kind and compassionate care.
At the centers, women have access to parenting, pregnancy, and childbirth classes. Providing confidential counseling and mentoring services, Real Alternatives furnishes mothers with vital items such as food, furniture, and baby and maternity clothing. Moreover, the counselors supply adoption information and encourage women to obtain well baby and prenatal check-ups during and after their pregnancies. The counselors also help mothers to make career and educational decisions.
Offering women access to free pregnancy self-test kits and assistance in locating temporary shelter, the pregnancy support centers also give referrals to community agencies.
A nonprofit organization, Real Alternatives operates a network of 144 centers in Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. For more information, call 1-888-LIFE-AID.
October 2, 2018 16:25
Adoption – A Courageous Alternative to Abortion
Adoption
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For women who are pregnant and not ready to raise a child, adoption is a brave choice that can benefit the child and birth mother, as well as the baby’s new family. Real Alternatives can help women considering this option through its network of pregnancy support centers, where trained counselors can work with mothers to discuss their situation and connect them with licensed adoption agencies.
Birth mothers can benefit from adoption in a number of ways. Knowing that her child has been placed with a loving family can bring significant comfort to the birth mother while she pursues an education, career, or other life goals that would have been difficult while raising a child. Moreover, pregnancy support centers can provide ongoing assistance and counseling for the birth mother and family members if necessary.
When a baby is placed with the new family, the birth mother can find joy in knowing that her difficult decision has brought tremendous happiness to another family and that it was made with great love and with the baby’s best interests in mind.
November 29, 2017 19:23
Blogger
An Overview of HPV Statistics in America
Real Alternatives is a not-for-profit health organization that provides women with a variety of services and support during unexpected and crises pregnancies. Real Alternatives also offers a wealth of information regarding related health topics, including sexually transmitted diseases.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 110 million Americans are living with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), at a cost of more than $16 billion annually. Studies have found that of the 20 million newly-reported cases of STDs every year, over 14 million are linked to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
Nearly 80 million individuals of all ages in the United States live with HPV. The infection is incurable, though some symptoms can be managed with medical treatments. In many instances, HPV is passed between partners, and it can remain dormant for years without active symptoms. Some strains of HPV can cause genital warts or even cancer.
There are a number of ways to mitigate one's chances of contracting HPV. Individuals are advised to get the HPV vaccine, which helps protect against the most common strain but not all of the strains. Practicing safe sex can lower the chance of contracting HPV or other STDs. However, living a chaste lifestyle (abstinence) until committing to a long-term monogamous relationship is the best and the most effective means of risk reduction.
November 29, 2017 19:20
Basic Facts about STDs in America
STDs
Image: realalternatives.org
Real Alternatives puts women dealing with unexpected pregnancies in touch with helpful programs and services. In addition to unplanned pregnancy, Real Alternatives operates in areas related to sexual health and STD prevention.
Unexpected pregnancy is not the only reason to refrain from sexual intercourse at a young age, or at any time outside of a committed, trusting relationship. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are another serious consequence to consider. In recent years, STDs have reached epidemic levels in the United States, with more than 20 unique infectious diseases impacting over 20 million American men and women. Every year, the US government addresses the effects of STDs with response efforts in excess of $16 billion.
Knowledge and prevention represent an individual’s two strongest weapons against STDs, which can be contracted by any sexually active individual. Age, gender, race, economic background, and other identifying characteristics have nothing to do with contracting an STD. That said, certain populations are more at risk than others. More than 66 percent of STD cases in America are found in individuals under the age of 25, for example.
Sexually active individuals must be highly vigilant in regard to the symptoms of a possible STD. In many cases, particularly in women, the symptoms do not show immediately. In some cases, a disease may lie dormant for years at a time. Even when there are no symptoms, the disease can be transmitted.
There are a number of ways to mitigate the chances of contracting an STD, but abstaining from sexual intercourse is the only way to completely prevent the chances of infection.
November 17, 2017 01:18
Blogger
Real Testimonies from Real Alternatives Clients
Real Alternatives provides support and information to women from all walks of life who have been impacted by an unplanned pregnancy. The Real Alternatives website, www.realalternatives.org, features a number of stories from clients who have benefited from the support of the organization.
The stories come from a host of women of different ages and backgrounds, a testament to the organization’s desire to provide help to any individual who seeks it. Certain accounts highlight the organization’s all-inclusive attitude in regard to age, as opposed to similar agencies that focus solely on helping younger women dealing with unexpected pregnancies.
Other women have pointed to a lack of support upon learning about their pregnancy, including disapproval from family and friends and pressure to abort, or complete indifference from their partner. The informed support and welcoming approach of the Real Alternatives team, along with a number of approved service providers, helped these women to identify different ways to address their situation.
November 7, 2017 15:08
What Happens during an Abortion
Abortion
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Founded to provide pregnancy and parenting support to new and expectant mothers, Real Alternatives is committed to educating women about their options. Real Alternatives helps women to understand what is involved in an abortion, so that they can make informed choices. Medical abortions, also known as chemical abortions, involve the use of a hormone-blocking chemical known as mifepristone. Mifepristone is colloquially known as the abortion pill, as well as RU-486 this chemical is used to end an early pregnancy by inducing an abortion. In some cases, the woman will need to take a second drug, misoprostol to complete the abortion. Misoprostol causes the womb to contract; the contractions expel the baby from the womb. Medical abortions are typically only available to women who are nine or fewer weeks into pregnancy.
After the ninth week of pregnancy, women seeking abortions who are still in their first trimester are more likely to undergo vacuum aspiration, a surgical procedure in which a physician will numb the cervix and insert a catheter into the woman’s cervix. The catheter is connected to a machine that acts like a vacuum cleaner. The fetus is sucked out of the womb through the catheter.
Usually during a second trimester (the fourth, fifth, and sixth months of pregnancy), to perform an abortion, the doctor opens (dilates) the cervix and empties (evacuates) the uterus. This method is known as dilation and evacuation (D & E).
When this abortion method is used in the second trimester, the doctor may insert a sponge-like material into the cervix. As the sponge gets wet it becomes larger, opening the mouth of the cervix. The doctor will remove the sponge two to sixteen hours later. The doctor uses forceps to remove the fetus or fetal parts; the doctor may also suction the fetus or fetal parts by vacuum aspiration using a larger catheter than described for the first trimester. The afterbirth is most commonly removed by vacuum aspiration.
Finally, late-term abortions are abortions performed between 24 and 38 weeks gestation.
An abortion at this stage of your pregnancy may only be done if your physician reasonably believes that it is necessary to prevent either your death or a substantial and irreversible impairment of one of your major bodily functions.
When a pregnancy is ended at this stage, one of two procedures is performed: labor induction or cesarean section.
Labor and delivery of the fetus during the third trimester are similar to childbirth. The duration of labor depends on the size of the baby and the “readiness” of the womb.
If labor cannot be started by injecting medicine into the pregnant woman, or if the pregnant woman is too sick to undergo labor, a cesarean section may be done.
Another type of late term abortion that is also performed is known as partial birth abortion. Partial birth abortion is legal in only 18 states.
November 1, 2017 14:48
Blogger
Sexually Transmitted Diseases Reach Record High in US
Real Alternatives provides easy-to-understand education surrounding pregnancy, parenting, and sexual health. Targeting its services to pregnant women and women of childbearing age, Real Alternatives strives to help its audiences make informed decisions.
According to recent data available through the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surveillance Report, collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the incidence of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis has reached a record high in the United States. Chlamydia stands out as the most prevalent of these three diseases, the total number of cases having reached 1.6 million, as compared to 470,000 cases of gonorrhea and close to 28,000 cases of infectious syphilis.
Close to 50 percent of reported chlamydia cases occur in young women, a percentage significantly higher than the incidence rate in other populations. New diagnoses of syphilis are present primarily in men, the percentage being highest in men who engage in sex with other men (MSM). There were also 600 new cases of syphilis reported in infants in 2016, a rate that indicates the widespread failure of readily available screening procedures.
The most dramatic increase in gonorrhea infection also rests with the male population, and particularly with those in the MSM category. Scientists believe that the 22 percent increase in men with gonorrhea is attributable largely to the resistance of the infection to common antibiotics.
October 22, 2017 14:03
Blogger
Then-Governor Mike Pence’s Support of Indiana’s Real Alternatives
Regarding the long-term impact he hoped to achieve through this backing, Governor Pence spoke of wanting see more women who are facing an unplanned pregnancy receive needed assistance, support, and education. Responding to criticism from some corners that Real Alternatives does not counsel or advocate for abortion, he noted that under Indiana law, “childbirth is preferred, encouraged, and supported over abortion” (IC 16-34-1-1). He described the provided services as being both legal and in sync with a pro-life worldview that defines Hoosier values.
Mike Pence also commended the nonprofit orientation of Real Alternatives, such that any participating service provider cannot charge money for services rendered. This he saw as essential in ensuring that all Indiana residents would be able to access the state-funded program with ease.
October 22, 2017 13:44
Catholic Social Services – Recognized for Life Affirming Work
Real Alternatives
Image: cssphiladelphia.org
A nonprofit organization based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Real Alternatives engages with women facing unplanned and crisis pregnancies in providing compassionate and practical support. Affirming life, Real Alternatives operates as part of the state-funded Alternatives to Abortion initiative and teams up with dozens of qualified support service providers statewide.
As reported in the National Right to Life News, Real Alternatives has consistently selected Catholic Social Services as the recipient of its Pennsylvania Service Provider of the Year award. In 2015 alone, the Philadelphia organization met the needs of some 5,500 pregnant women, with core services including parenting and prenatal support that included baby showers held monthly at many of its greater Philadelphia locations.
Real Alternatives’ vice president of operations described the award as reflecting Catholic Social Services’ longstanding commitment to going “above and beyond” what is required in reaching out to young women in the urban communities it serves. Coordinated efforts by the group have significantly decreased the number of abortions regionwide and bolstered life-affirming personal decisions.
September 28, 2017 19:12
Strategies for Breaking the News of a Pregnancy to Family Members
Pregnancy
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Providing free, life-affirming support to women facing unexpected pregnancies, Real Alternatives offers confidential support in everything from temporary shelter to maternal health care. Real Alternatives also offers compassionate counseling that enables expectant mothers to overcome hurdles in informing their partners and family members, such as parents, of a new addition to the family.
Before women speak to their parents, it is important to confirm that a pregnancy has actually occurred. Real Alternatives offers a combination of health care provider references and free self-test kits for this purpose. Once a pregnancy is confirmed, mothers are advised to relax and collect their thoughts by visiting a favorite spot or taking a walk.
They may also want to speak with a trusted relative, counselor, or friend. If possible, they can use a journal to collect their thoughts, including ideas and options for their child’s future. This will not only bring a sense of order to a chaotic process, but also prepare them to bring up the subject with their parents.
Breaking the news is often accompanied by a sense of anger and hurt among parents, who may fear the ways in which their daughters’ lives will change. Mitigating this reaction should begin with a mature response from the mother that emphasizes that she is taking responsibility and actively working to ensure a healthy, happy future for her new baby.
September 15, 2017 21:20
Learning to Be a Parent Requires Support
Real Alternatives
Image: realalternatives.org
Based in Pennsylvania, the nonprofit organization Real Alternatives serves as a contracted government partner in providing life-affirming free counseling services to pregnant women who are contemplating an abortion. Real Alternatives’ staff offers empathetic, nonjudgmental, emotional support designed to empower women to make positive choices for themselves and their families.
The organization’s mission also includes facilitating access to a wide range of helpful information on parenting, child development, and life skills. By calling 1-888-Life-Aid, women worried about how they will feed, shelter, clothe, and care for their unborn children can obtain free assistance with these needs, as well as access to classes that will help them develop parenting skills.
Expectant and new mothers may feel intense concern about their ability to effectively parent a child, particularly when they themselves may have grown up in chaotic, neglectful, or abusive homes. A solid parenting skills class is set up to address these issues and offer guidance on everything ranging from how to build strong emotional bonds between parents and their children to how to deal with medical emergencies.
For generations, experts on family dynamics have pointed out that no one is born knowing how to be a good parent. Learning to be an effective and caring parent comes from many sources that include one’s own family history, personal life experiences, books and other educational materials, observation of role models, and trial and error.
With counseling, support, and education, women can learn how to confront their fears associated with parenting a child and learn to nurture happy, healthy families.
September 15, 2017 21:11
Blogger
How to Support a Friend Experiencing a Crisis Pregnancy
Serving women and their families in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan, Real Alternatives partners with these states’ social service agencies to offer free crisis pregnancy counseling and support. With close to 150 centers spanning the three states, Real Alternatives provides safe, empathetic, and non-judgmental advice. The organization also offers food, clothing, shelter, and ongoing parenting education.
Many people will, at some point in their lives, know of someone who is considering an abortion. Knowing how to be supportive and helpful can be difficult, given the mixed messages that society and popular culture relay about the subject.
Experienced pro-life counselors generally suggest that you remain loving and accepting of a friend who is experiencing a crisis pregnancy. They advise that you focus on the woman’s need to be heard, understood, and treated as an individual who is capable of making her own decisions.
Other ways to help include offering practical assistance with activities such as household chores, transportation, and shopping, so that a woman can concentrate on caring for herself and her family.
Friends can also show that they care by staying positive and affirming through their words and actions the value of every human life, including those begun under less-than-ideal circumstances.
Real Alternatives
Image: realalternatives.org
As a partner to government social service agencies in three Midwestern states, Pennsylvania-based Real Alternatives provides women with free, nonjudgmental counseling, referrals, and information on alternatives to abortion. The nonprofit works from a core value of compassion for every woman who seeks its services. Its toll-free number, 1-888-LIFE-AID, connects women experiencing crisis pregnancies with trained counselors who have either undergone crisis pregnancies themselves or assisted others in the same circumstances.
Experts in the field of counseling note that emotional intelligence – and the empathy and compassion that tend to come with it – is an essential trait for any counselor to develop. Counselors who demonstrate compassion and empathy enable clients to tell their own stories, going the extra mile to share and affirm their feelings at every step along the way. The counselors’ responsiveness enables them to form a strong connection with their clients, who feel heard and respected. As a result, the counselors pave the way for the women to make decisions in their own best interests.