For OC women facing unplanned pregnancies, a $380,000 mobile medical clinic has launched (2024)

Orange County women facing unplanned pregnancies will soon have access to free diagnostic care, counseling and an array of support services no matter where they live, thanks to a new mobile health clinic that’s being rolled out soon with the support of several community groups.

Save the Storks, a national pro-life nonprofit, is working with Horizon Pregnancy Clinic, Mariners Church and the Orange County Rescue Mission to launch the outreach initiative as part of its For Every Woman project.

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The For Every Woman Mobile Medical Clinic, which cost $380,000 to build, made its debut during a ribbon-cutting event Friday, May 17, at the rescue mission’s Village of Hope campus in Tustin.

The vehicle is the first of its kind in the country, organizers say, because it provides an exam room where women can receive medical care, and an adjacent counseling room where women can receive information on pregnancy options and connect with groups that can help them with eight family-related issues – from housing to child care – if they choose to give birth.

“We found that many times when a woman is at that moment of decision, if she does choose to carry her baby to term, or whether she chooses abortion, she needs someone else to walk along that journey with her,” said Diane Ferraro, chief executive officer of Save the Storks. “It was so critical that we have not only the counseling, but really the wrap-around services, to make sure that someone is with her every step of the way.”

Save the Storks runs 102 mobile maternal healthcare clinics in 34 states, Ferraro said. The Orange County project has been in the works for more than two years, she added.

Women will soon be able to make appointments for a pregnancy test, an STD test, or an ultrasound at the mobile clinic through foreverywoman.org, organizers said. Onsite, they’ll be medically assessed by healthcare professionals.

If a woman discovers that she’s pregnant, she can then speak with on-site licensed therapists and trained counselors about her options going forward.

Women who elect abortion won’t be referred out for services, Ferraro said, but staff will explain the medical procedure to them and invite them back to learn more about counseling and recovery programs.

Women who choose to give birth will be connected to programs in the community – including those offered by the rescue mission – that are a good fit for them, Ferraro said.

“We are there with her every step of the way no matter what choice she makes,” she said.

Coalition members are supporting the mobile clinic in various ways, said Bryan Crain, rescue mission president.

Staff from Horizon Pregnancy Clinic in Huntington Beach will provide medical services, including ultrasounds, STD testing and counseling, he said.

Mariners Church is providing 50 volunteer doctors, nurses and other health professionals.

Save the Storks played a key role in building the clinic, and is helping with training, strategic planning, scheduling, website management and more, said Ferraro.

And if a woman decides to give birth, she and her family can tap into the Tustin-based rescue mission’s robust programming to get help with education, legal issues, medical care, parenting classes and more, said Crain.

“It is my hope that every woman who steps in that clinic knows that she is not alone,” he told those gathered for Friday’s ribbon cutting. “That if she needs to, there’s a place for her here at the Village of Hope …and that she can come into a community of people who are going to love her and care for her and care for her kids.”

While the clinic’s schedule is still being finalized, it is expected to stop in Orange, Santa Ana and at the rescue mission to start, said Ferraro.

Locations could include churches, businesses, college campuses and parking lots adjacent to medical facilities, she said.

Organizers plan for the mobile clinic to be on the road eight hours a day, five to six days a week, said Ferraro, and hope to serve 2,500 to 3,500 women in the first year.

The rescue mission will serve as the vehicle’s homebase, said Crain.

The mobile clinic aims to serve those who may otherwise have difficulty reaching a medical facility, organizers said, especially those who don’t have access to a car or public transportation.

“The idea is that if it’s in their neighborhood, it’s a lot easier for a young woman in crisis to get there,” Crain said.

Although the clinic launch date is still being finalized, it is expected to be up and running soon, organizers said. They hope to eventually expand service to Anaheim and other neighboring cities, and south Orange County.

“In the long run, we want people to think of foreverywoman.org when they face a situation like this,” Crain said. “We want it to be on everybody’s radar.”

For OC women facing unplanned pregnancies, a $380,000 mobile medical clinic has launched (2024)

FAQs

How do most unplanned pregnancies occur? ›

The concept of unintended pregnancy helps in understanding the fertility of populations and the unmet need for contraception, also known as birth control, and family planning. Most unintended pregnancies result from not using contraception or from not using it consistently or correctly.

How many unintended pregnancies are there each year? ›

[NEW YORK, 30 March 2022] — Nearly half of all pregnancies, totalling 121 million each year throughout the world, are unintended.

What is the only 100% effective way to prevent an unplanned pregnancy? ›

Not having sex at all (abstinence) is the only 100% effective method for preventing pregnancy and lowering the risk of catcing sexually transmitted diseases.

What is the number one cause of unplanned pregnancy? ›

It can prevent pregnancy up to 5 days after unprotected sex. But if you don't notice an error like a small hole in a condom, or that you missed your daily pill, you could become pregnant. The single biggest reason for unplanned pregnancy isn't ineffective birth control -- it's from a couple not using anycontraception.

What percent of US pregnancies are unplanned? ›

Approximately fifty percent of pregnancies in United States of America are unintended and about 48% of reproductive-age American women (15–44) have experienced at least one unintended pregnancy (2, 3).

What birth control has the highest failure rate? ›

Birth control method failure rates and efficacy
Contraceptive MethodPerfect use failure rateTypical use failure rate
Diaphragm4-812
Male condom213
Female condom521
Cervical cap4-817-23
16 more rows
Dec 7, 2023

What is the unplanned pregnancy rate in the US? ›

for every 1,000 women aged 15–44 in the United States. In other words, nearly 5% of reproductive-age women have an unintended pregnancy each year. States than in many other developed countries. ) of the 6.1 million pregnancies in the United States were unintended.

Who is most at risk for unintended pregnancy? ›

Unintended pregnancy rates are highest among low-income women (i.e., women with incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level), women aged 18–24, cohabiting women and women of color. Rates tend to be lowest among higher-income women (at or above 200% of poverty), white women, college graduates and married women.

What is the main risk associated with an unplanned pregnancy? ›

Summary. Women who have unintended pregnancies are more likely to delay prenatal care, experience violence, and have mental health problems.

Which group has the highest rate of unintended pregnancies? ›

Approximately 50% of pregnancies are unintended. Higher proportions of unintended pregnancies occur among the following groups: adolescents and young women, women who are of racial or ethnic minorities, and women with lower levels of education and income.

Why do so many accidental pregnancies happen in your 40s? ›

The problem starts when these low odds lead women to use less-reliable contraception, such as the rhythm method or withdrawal. Thanks to hormone spikes and the menstrual cycle becoming less predictable, those methods become even riskier during peri-menopause, and the odds can stack up.

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