They talk a lot about "choice," but you'll find very few real choices when you visit your neighborhood abortion clinic. Chances are, clinics might mention adoption or keeping your baby, but after they've gotten through telling you all the problems they see with those choices, you might think abortion is your only realistic option.
Few of these clinics are prepared to deal with women who might want to pursue alternatives to abortion. Few, if any, are set up to handle adoptions. And prenatal care, for those who might wish to continue their pregnancy, is very rare.
One need not look far for evidence of this claim. In 2001, at America's leading abortion chain, Planned Parenthood, there were nearly 14 abortions performed for every woman receiving prenatal care at the clinic. Planned Parenthood did no adoptions, but referred out 1,951 clients to adoption agencies. Against a backdrop of 213,026 abortions in the same time frame, adoption does not seem like much of an option at Planned Parenthood.
Abortion clinics like Planned Parenthood say they support a woman's right to "make an informed decision," but they regularly oppose laws that mandate a woman's being told of abortion risks, of help and services available to pregnant women, and pictures and basic information about the development of her unborn baby.
Unlike pregnancy care centers, which are often largely staffed by unpaid volunteers, abortion clinics have a vested interest in the outcome, with abortion being the quickest route to "easy" money. At an average cost of $372 for a standard 10-week surgical abortion that takes no more than 15 to 20 minutes to perform, a clinic with a single abortionist may be able to pull in as much as $1,000 an hour. Four out of five abortions are performed at clinics doing 1,000 or more abortions a year, meaning quite a lot of money is riding on a woman's decision.