Abortion in East Lansing: What would you face?

by YiQing Shao

Among your choices Planned Parenthood Pregnancy Services

With Olin Health Center and Sparrow Health Center nearby, a sick student at MSU has plenty of places to go for a consultation. 

But what about more serious situations, like when you wake up Saturday morning in a bed that isn’t yours, with no recollection of what happened the night before? Something isn’t right, and it’s one of those days you wish you weren’t a girl. God bless the date rape. 

So, as the commercials ask, “Now what?” Perhaps your answer is abortion. If so, then where to now? 

There are several places a possibly pregnant MSU student can get help in East Lansing. The most familiar name that comes to mind is Planned Parenthood located at 515 E. Grand River Ave. Also on Grand River is Pregnancy Services of Greater Lansing. Finally, another Crisis Pregnancy Center nearby is Bethany Christian Services at 1151 Michigan Ave. #108. 

When I visited Pregnancy Services of Greater Lansing on Grand River, I was surprised at its small size. Located next to a coffee place, the word “Java” dominated the front of the building. A sign on the side read, “Free Pregnancy Tests.”

The front of Pregnancy Services is actually in the back, so after walking in I found myself in a narrow hall with offices on either side. I looked into the one on my right. 

A large painting of Jesus appeared before my eyes, below which was written, “The Right to Live.” Despite my lack of polarity on the issue of abortion, the atheist inside of me shuddered at the sight of Jesus, not the mention all pink fluffy angels I saw as I continued walking down the hall. 

A kind woman greeted me at the back. I told her I thought I might be pregnant, and after filling out a form she sat me down in her office. I told her the fictional story I made up the day before, and she listened quietly and nodded.

I wanted her to tell me about abortions, but it seemed that she refused to go there unless absolutely necessary.

“I know I might not be pregnant,” I kept insisting, “But if I am, can you tell me how or where I should go to get an abortion?” 

She kept responding, “Well, why don’t we wait until we see the results and then we can discuss your options.”

If I were pregnant, I would have walked out of the building that day feeling just as lost as I felt going in.

I found the woman’s avoidance of abortion contradictory since their website advertises the title, “Choice… you have one with us!” The site does mention, however, that they won’t refer pregnant women to clinics and that a fetus is not a “blob of tissue.” 

On another day, I ventured to Planned Parenthood, another place I’d never been before. This time I wanted information on abortion for my pregnant sister in high school. 

A receptionist gave me a packet of information.  It was all very straightforward: a brochure about medication abortion, a list of clinics where abortions are available, a comparison of the different kinds, and places to go afterward if one needs. 

This experience was the least bit personal, and 30 seconds after walking in, I was out again, contrary to Pregnancy Services, where I spent maybe half an hour or so. 

There were positive and negative aspects of visiting both Planned Parenthood and Pregnancy Services.

At Planned Parenthood, I didn’t get a strange reaction when I confidently stated I wanted information about abortion. The receptionist was young and surprisingly nonchalant about it all. 

The downside is that Planned Parenthood is located next to a lot of other businesses, and as soon as I walked out I saw a student in Splash of Color Tattooing peering out the store window staring at me. I shot back an equally judgmental look that said, “Stop looking at me and focus on your own self destruction!” (I have nothing against tattoos, by the way, but it seemed ironic.) 

Pregnancy Services is a bit more off the beaten path, a little less obvious. On the plus side, they’re more personal. On the downside, this intimacy can get intimidating. (It was all those damn pink angels, I tell you! They were staring at me as if I was planning to commit the ultimate sin, which, if you are religious, I guess I was.) 

And if you are sure you want an abortion, the question is whether this would delay just delay you in getting there.

As for Bethany Christian Services, well, the word “Christian” says it all, doesn’t it? Doubtful the people would be too supportive of an abortion, but they do offer adoption services and forms of support other than abortion.

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