Pennsylvania Services Promote Childbirth and Women’s Health

​A nonprofit organization serving the states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Indiana, Real Alternatives encourages childbirth instead of abortion and provides a range of support services to assist women during pregnancy, delivery, and beyond. Through its pregnancy and parenting support programs, Real Alternatives has helped prevent newborn health issues and reduce abortion rates in the states it has served since 1996.

In 2013, Pennsylvania and 11 other states saw record low abortion rates. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported that the number of resident abortions performed in Pennsylvania in 2013 dropped by 7.39% to 30,749 from the previous year.

That same year, a total of 19,956 women were served at the 96 Real Alternatives funded pregnancy centers, social services agencies and maternity homes for the year. An 8% increase from the previous year. Of those, 15,973 women received services for the first time under the program in calendar year 2013.
Pennsylvania is seeing abortion numbers that are approximately 50 percent less than they were in 1980, when the abortion rate was at a record high.

The significant decrease in abortions in Pennsylvania can be attributed to several factors, including the state’s Abortion Control Act and the development of new technology that makes it easier for parents to clearly see their baby in the womb. Another major factor is Pennsylvania’s Alternatives to Abortion program.

Administered by Real Alternatives, the program provides confidential services, including pregnancy tests, counseling, and housing, through 96 providers all over the state. By offering these and many other services for free, the Alternatives to Abortion program provides women with the guidance, encouragement, and support needed to maintain their health and that of their babies. 

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