A pregnant Californian student was told by Planned Parenthood staff that the only option for her was abortion. But she chose life and exposed the lies of the abortion industry.

“Women don’t need abortion”, says Jessica Riojas, relating her experience at a Planned Parenthood facility in the United States.

Jessica was attending university when she became pregnant. “Like most other college-age women in my situation”, she says, “I felt alone, scared, unsure of my future and incredibly underprepared”.

Visiting a local Planned Parenthood abortion facility, a counsellor told Jessica that it would be “irresponsible” to allow her unborn child to live.

She “wasn’t ready to be a mom”, she was told.

But due, in part, to a Students for Life model of a 12-week unborn child, which Jessica owned, she could not do what Planned Parenthood was pressuring her to do. Abortion, she realised, was not her only option.

Abortion “was not what I needed”. “What I needed”, Jessica explains, “was real information about pregnancy and fetal development, the truth about what I actually can do as a pregnant student and people to offer me moral and practical support.

“The abortion facility didn’t tell me — and never would have told me — about any of that. But it was all available, and it’s available to women now…

“The abortion movement doesn’t want you to know about stories like mine.”

Jessica hopes that her story will help expose the abortion industry and give hope to pregnant women in a similar situation to herself.

The abortion industry exploits women

Michael Robinson, SPUC Executive Director (Public Affairs & Legal Services), said: “The abortion industry trades in lies as well as death, exploiting the natural fears and insecurities of young women who feel their future is in the balance and can only be saved by abortion.

“This is exploitation. Full stop.

“We must never forget that abortion serves only the purse of the abortion industry and the anti-life, anti-woman ideology of the pro-abortion ethic that has killed millions of babies.”

SPUC’s Alma Mater Fund

SPUC’s Alma Mater Fund provides financial grants to pregnant students facing difficulties at universities in Scotland and Northern Ireland in order to support them in pursuing their academic and personal goals.

Are you pregnant and concerned about finishing your degree? You can find out more by visiting our dedicated Alma Mater Fund website page here.

Our Alma Mater Fund is here for you. SPUC is here to help.