Center Not a ‘Bogus’ Clinic

We at the Pregnancy Counseling Center in Reseda (“Women’s Center Phone Book Listing to Change,” Valley Edition, Jan. 21) find ourselves in the undesirable position of having to defend what we do--helping women who are pregnant or suspect they might be pregnant, and who need support of various kinds.

On several occasions, we have been called or visited by “bogus” women in crisis. One client posed as a 19-year-old who wanted an abortion, then wrote an article in the UCLA Daily Bruin that was supposed to demonstrate our duplicity and lack of sensitivity. She wasn’t able to prove either.

On two occasions, we were visited by television news reporters, who hoped to find God knows what. They couldn’t find anything shameful or titillating.

We offer many choices to a pregnant woman: We offer pregnancy tests; information and referrals for prenatal care; information on abortion, including its possible complications and the psychological consequences; legal referrals; support groups for single, pregnant women; adoption information; baby and maternity clothes; baby furniture; housing for teen-age or adult women; and networking for anything a woman in a crisis situation might need. We also have doctors, nurses and lawyers available for consultation when a client calls with a problem or question.

Those who align themselves with the politically correct term “pro-choice” are really pro-abortion. That is the only choice they understand or promote.

We never chose to call ourselves a clinic. However, when we decided to advertise in the Yellow Pages many years ago, the book publishers chose that as a heading. In fact, we don’t pay for that listing, because we were placed there in error by the Yellow Pages in spite of our clear requests to be deleted from that category. I’m sure it will be corrected in the next publication.

We know that we aren’t a “bogus” clinic. We know that we are for real and that our purpose is to offer an alternative to those who find themselves pregnant and in difficult circumstances. We are a nonprofit organization completely funded by individuals who feel that one unborn life and one woman saved from the tragedy of abortion is priceless.

GAIL M. HAMILTON

Reseda

Hamilton is coordinator of the Pregnancy Counseling Center.