The importance of our Mission
The consequences of unintended pregnancy are serious. It imposes significant burdens on women, children, men, and families. A woman who becomes unexpectedly pregnant is less likely to seek early prenatal care and is more likely to introduce the fetus to harmful substances, like alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. A child born under these circumstances is more at an increased risk of, being born at low birth weight, dying in its first year, suffering abuse, and not receiving adequate resources that aid in healthy development. The mother is at an increased risk of depression, hunger, and physical abuse. Both mother and child face a higher risk of poverty or economic hardship as well as a failure to achieve their educational and career goals.
Poverty is both a cause of and a consequence of unplanned pregnancy.
In 2011, 42% of unintended pregnancies ended in abortion, and 58% resulted in a birth. Low-income women who can’t afford reliable birth control are five times more likely than other women to have an unplanned pregnancy. In Colorado, two-thirds of these families require public assistance. Unintended pregnancies perpetuate the cycle of poverty, making it harder for families to make ends meet. Many children will not escape this cycle of poverty. Only about two-thirds of children born to teen mothers earn a high school degree.
Choose When is our local answer. Choose When delivers long-acting, maintenance-free birth control to women who can’t afford it, and we use existing community health service providers to do it. Northwest Colorado Health, Planned Parenthood, and Rio Blanco Family Planning Clinics are all partnering in the Choose When effort.
To solve the problem, all it takes is your support. Because our partners are well established in the community and eager to take on this effort, we are adding no new layers of administration or bureaucracy. Every dollar you donate goes directly to pay for long-acting birth control for women who need it.
The opportunity is ours. Let’s solve this problem. Donate today.
