Arkansas pregnancy centers adapt after Roe v. Wade overturn

Abortion pill reversal one of the major services now in demand in Arkansas

(AC) After the Dobbs decision, overturning Roe v. Wade, in 2022, pregnancy centers were left to wonder what their new role would be in the pro-life and women’s health landscape. In the years since, much has changed — but much has also stayed the same. 

Catherine Phillips, director of the diocese’s Respect Life Office, said the challenges for the diocese and pregnancy centers in the state are unique. 

“Arkansas, in general, is what you would call a mixed bag, and the reason is that when we talk about pregnancy centers in Arkansas, we have to remember that our diocese is geographically really big, especially when you compare it to other dioceses across the United States,” she said. “So we have a really diverse range of pregnancy centers that serve a diverse number of communities in Arkansas, and the clientele that you will see coming to a pregnancy center in Little Rock is different than the community that’s served by the pregnancy center in Mountain Home or Magnolia.”

According to Arkansas Right to Life, Arkansas has 48 pregnancy centers.

Statistically speaking, clients at pregnancy centers in Central Arkansas and the Delta region — “Little Rock and south,” Phillips said — is predominantly Black women who are in their 30s or 40s and already have children, a larger trend across the majority of the Deep South. Clients in rural areas and northwestern Arkansas tend to be young and white, from rural and impoverished communities.

Phillips said that while the law has changed, the needs of women and families who are having a baby or experiencing an unplanned pregnancy haven’t. 

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“Those needs are still there, and we know what they are,” she said. “What has changed, maybe in those communities, is that while surgical abortion isn’t readily available in Arkansas … abortion pills are regularly available. If you truly are seeking an abortion, you could still seek an abortion, sadly — there’s just a different way to access it.”

But one of the many ways that pregnancy centers can get ahead is by connecting with the community. 

“Many pregnancy resource centers and their directors are looking at the social services model — what the needs of the community are there, and the community’s involvement with risky behaviors that lead to pregnancy. Why offer STI (sexually transmitted infection) testing? Because it serves a need in the community. Why offer parenting classes? Because we know that a lot of women who choose to abort their babies do so because parenting is hard. It’s hard to have babies — especially when you already have material and social needs. It’s hard to have babies when you don’t have a community of support, emotional support, and you already feel isolated and alone. A lot of women who already have children turn to abortion — they’ve been through parenting. We know that statistically, and in recognizing that, we have to try to fill in those gaps and be there for support.”

Tweet This: While the law has changed with the Dobbs ruling, the needs of women and families who are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy haven’t.

Support is something that Phillips has seen pregnancy centers embrace even more.

“They were already embracing support before the Dobbs decision, and they really are now. When I work with moms who have accessed services at pregnancy centers, they tell me that they really embraced the help. … They attend a lot of these parenting classes because they were done in the community, because what they crave is not so much the education, but the community support — being around instructors, mentors, who could provide you with human companionship and support.”

Some pregnancy centers have responded to the needs of the community by hiring substance abuse specialists and social workers. 

“Some of the needs are more about housing, transportation and employment, so trying to forge those connections and community partnerships is pivotal,” Phillips said. “We don’t need to replicate. We need to partner with.”

At 1st Choice Pregnancy Medical Center in Fort Smith, executive director Melissa Hodges has seen a major uptick in abortion pill reversals since the Dobbs decision. This change accompanies an increase in efforts to support the community. 

“We have more clients than ever,” she said. “A lot of times, they come here first, even if they have an appointment somewhere else. We have more abortion pill reversal clients because they’re purchasing those by mail. The number one way to have an abortion now is the chemical abortion through a pill,” Hodges said. “We do a lot of community events, and we talk to schools about STD (sexually transmitted disease) awareness and prevention, and we do testing and treatment for STDs. They know that if they come here for those needs, that we’re also here for any future needs they might have.”

Tweet This: We have more abortion pill reversal clients because they’re purchasing those (chemical abortion pills) by mail - Arkansas center director.

Shelley Lewis, executive director of the Arkansas Pregnancy Resource Center, is wrapping up her third-highest year of seeing clients seeking pregnancy verification, with the highest being in 2024. 

“The important thing is that we’re seeing women who are seeking this because … they trust us to give accurate information,” she said. “We’re seeing all sorts of women who are wanting to continue their pregnancy and just don’t have insurance. Who want to continue their pregnancy but they want to know the facts before they make any decisions.”

The center has had to expand its staff and volunteers as well, following the Dobbs ruling. 

“We have a team of three paid nurses. Our volunteer needs have grown quite a bit, because not only do women see us for their pregnancy verification services, but they also see our value in the education and material resources we provide. … We have seen a 300 percent increase in the number of women using material resources and taking classes. … So our volunteer needs have increased, not only for the supplemental services we provide, but also just keeping the center running. We rely on volunteer nurses, volunteer translators, and that’s really important.”

Phillips hopes that Catholics across the state will support their local pregnancy resource center and those in need in the community as much as they can. 

“As Catholic parishes, we could do a better job of being part of that community network. Our partnership with pregnancy centers doesn’t need to just be doing a diaper drive. It’s the accompaniment, the willingness to reach out and be with people, to pray with them, to spend time with them,” she said. “That’s so much more valuable, and we can do that with our pregnancy centers as parish communities.”

Editor's note: This article was published by the Arkansas Catholic and is reprinted with permission. Heartbeat International manages the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN) and Pregnancy Help News. Heartbeat is currently the subject of two lawsuits brought by state AGs concerning sharing information about Abortion PIll Reversal.