Planned Parenthood: Husband Not Allowed in Abortion Counseling

Opinion   |   Susan Michelle   |   Dec 1, 2011   |   1:53PM   |   Washington, DC

If Planned Parenthood had its way with influencing Alisha, she might not be the mother of two sons today. Last week we told you of Addison, who went to Planned Parenthood in Houston for help when she thought she was pregnant and found they only wanted to help her if she was interested in killing her baby.

Sadly, this wasn’t a unusual story, and Alisha learned it a few years ago in Tampa, FL when she was just a 23-year old newlywed.

Preying on women who think Planned Parenthood will help them when they are poor and uninsured works to some degree because well meaning pro-life people unknowingly walk through their doors, which is how Alisha found the Planned Parenthood at 56th and Busch in Tampa. Not long after she was married, Alisha took a home pregnancy test which gave her a positive result. Because she didn’t have insurance, and because she remembered many of her friends in high school got birth control from Planned Parenthood, she went for one of the ever-publicized free pregnancy tests at Planned Parenthood in Tampa.

She rounded up her mom and her husband and they set off to find out if they were about to rejoice over a new life. Her first surprise, as she sat in the clinic populated with young girls who appeared to be by themselves, was when she was called back to see a nurse.

“When my name was called, naturally my mom and husband stood up to come with me and the nurse told them they were not allowed. I asked the nurse, “not even my husband?” and she said “no, just you!” I felt very disappointed and confused.

Still, she complied and went back alone as the nurse asked her medical history questions. But the next questions stunned young Alisha, as the nurse asked her if she wanted to keep “it” if she was pregnant. When Alisha insisted she did, the nurse pushed:

“You can be honest with me, are being forced to keep it against your will?” I said, “Absolutely not. I wasn’t expecting to get pregnant so quickly, but if I am pregnant I want to keep my baby” and again she asked “So your husband or mom are not forcing you to keep it if you are?” I said, more aggressively and upset, “NO!”

Alisha notes:

When she was asking me if I was forced to keep the baby she looked like she was reading from a script. I remember her saying that if I kept ” it,” it would be very expensive and life changing. She was poking at the fact that I didn’t seem like I could afford to have a baby. She also asked if I was scared to say that I wanted an abortion, and that if I had any questions I could talk to someone that can ease my nerves. She never really said baby she said “it” a lot. She also mentioned that if I was pregnant depending how far a long I was that there might not even be a heartbeat.

Alisha didn’t give the woman a chance to go on, however, She said, “excuse me, If I am pregnant I am keeping my baby. I may not be rich but I know God will make a way!” and walked out.

Getting in the car, she burst into tears, and as her mom asked her what happened, she articulated the feeling then:

I said I felt like I was being choked in there, like something very dark and ugly was in there trying to take the lives of innocent babies.

Later, her husband started researching Planned Parenthood and there discovered the high abortion statistics and demonic underside to the abortion business.

Feeling awful that she had even ventured in such a place, Alisha recalled the many young girls alone in the waiting room, which at the time she had found unusual but suddenly made sense in light of her husband’s discovery that that is where so many young girls went for abortions.

Sadly, that’s never the end of a Planed Parenthood experience because the manipulative tactics and harsh tones don’t leave when a woman shuts the door behind her. Though it’s been a few years, Alisha says: “I have not been able to shake that experience, it was very disturbing that I had someone trying to convince me to abort my baby especially after telling her over and over again that I wanted to keep my baby. I didn’t sleep for a week! I turned out not to be pregnant at that time, but I now have two amazing little boys Josué and Josiah!”

In the end, Alisha’s mom paid for her pregnancy test; it was negative, but she believed God allowed her to experience Planned Parenthood as a call to go deeper into the pro-life movement. She wants “to spread the word and help open people’s eyes to the real reason why planned parenthood is around and what their purpose truly is.”

Alisha has returned to abortion clinics since her experience—for silent sieges to pray for the end of abortion. A pastor’s wife, her church also remains strong in the pro-life movement. And once again what Planned Parenthood meant for death, the Lord has used to bring LIFE.

LifeNews Note: This column originally appeared at Bound4Life’s blog and is reprinted with permission.