Crisis Pregnancies On The Rise… Really?

Officials nationwide have reported an increase in assistance requests for so-called “crisis” pregnancies – unplanned pregnancies that leave many women wondering how they will afford prenatal care, delivery and beyond.

I don’t like the term “crisis pregnancy.”  The term is entirely inappropriate.  A pregnancy does not become a crisis on its own, through conception only.  The crisis is dependent on socioeconomic factors.

The recent increase is not because pregnancy in and of itself has become more difficult.  It’s because the socioeconomic factors that must be weighed during the decision-making process have destabilized.  When pregnant women are laid off, out of work, have lost insurance, cannot get insurance or are otherwise disadvantaged, pregnancies become crises.

It is the impact of a “crisis economy” that has increased.  It makes it more difficult for women to make sound decisions based on their beliefs; for example, women who would not otherwise abort are doing so in order to afford to care for their older children.

When money dictates life – and death – our country does indeed have a crisis to overcome.  But it is not a pregnancy crisis.  It is an economic crisis.  It is a crisis of inequality, of disenfranchisement, of money, career and home.  Pregnancy is only a crisis when care is inaccessible and unaffordable.

These crises cannot be solved at the family level – they’re solved by government and community.  Righting the wrongs faced by pregnant women will take enormous effort, and individual women can’t do it all alone.  Legislative and policy changes must be instituted to turn crises into opportunities.

Please, don’t label your pregnancy a crisis.  If you feel that your pregnancy is a crisis, ask yourself whether you’re a victim of socioeconomic disadvantages.  Before you make decisions that could ruin your finances – or decisions that you might regret for the rest of your life – consult with qualified, unbiased experts to fully understand your options for affording pregnancy and child care.