Starting a Pregnancy Center

cbarrin

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Feb 1, 2005
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My agency is considering starting a Pregnancy Center in LaVega...as far as I researched, I'm not seeing anything like this exisiting...Anybody knows about the type of services offered for pregnant women facing wanted or unwanted pregnancy.
 

drbill

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Dec 3, 2005
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Pregnancy Center?!

cbarrin said:
My agency is considering starting a Pregnancy Center in LaVega...as far as I researched, I'm not seeing anything like this exisiting...Anybody knows about the type of services offered for pregnant women facing wanted or unwanted pregnancy.

You can imagine what I'm dying to say... self-edited entirely.:paranoid:
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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Off the top of my head and based on what i hear, there is a lot to be offered to young women. The big HOWEVER is that family pressures, ignorance and myths associated with pregnancies are so impregnated inthe lower social- economic strata that a huge, I mean huge, mass of young women go through pregnance without ever seeing a doctor, until the last minute.

However, it is changing slowly and something like this would certainly be a welcome addition .....if you can get the word out. Maybe through Radio Santa Maria right there in La Vega.. They have a very, very large audience, perhaps the largest in the area. (IF there is no " family planning" involved, that is. Radio Santa Maria is a Jesuit operation!)

HB:D:D:D
 
Jan 5, 2006
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I'm fairly familiar with La Vega, and there are no services of this sort being offered anywhere. Services are limited to the little pregnancy care that is available in the local public hospital, which doesn't even provide much needed vitamins (folic acid) during the early stages of pregnancy. Offering some pregnancy counseling on proper medical care, diet and nutrition would provide a huge service to that community.

The topic of unwanted pregnacy is a major taboo in the entire country, as termination is illegal, although chemicals are readily available at any local farmacia. This is not a topic that you even want to broach, much less be involved with, so forget it!
 

Rick Snyder

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Nov 19, 2003
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Though "unwanted pregnancy" is a taboo subject it is only such because of the position of the church in this country and if you analysis that position you learn that it isn't as strong as it once was. Along with the subject of prevention which too is taboo but in reality both subjects are desperately needed to be discussed here. There are a number of organizations presently in place within the country that have been preaching both subjects but because of the position that the church holds their jobs are difficult. Added to the position or mindset of the typical Dominican this makes the job more difficult.

As to prenatal care as well as post the problem as I see it is that the visits to the doctor is very low cost or free but the "shell shock" appears in the medicines prescribed for said patients and it is because of these costs, that are well known to the populace, is the main reason that the doctors visit isn't even initially instigated.

Rick
 

audboogie

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Jul 4, 2004
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could somebody explain the "taboo" or history behind unwanted pregnancies in DR? or just tell what u know?
 

cuas

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May 29, 2006
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First of all, it is disgrace to be pregnant if you do not have a man. Teenagers hide their pregnancy until they are visible. Too late for prenatal care.
Some clinics or doctors practice abortion, but by recommendation.
Women usually do not talk about abortion. Some times not even their man knows.
If a man is playing around and the woman become pregnant, if he doesnot want the baby, he takes the woman himself and pay for an abortion or give her the money and convince her to go.

Here in the US, at least the teenager has a medicaid that pay for it and the parents will never know.
In DR, the family cannot afford to take a family member to a doctor, how can the teenager afford to pay the minimal fee or know what to do?
Everybody knows her.
 

rmary

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Oct 4, 2003
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I think it is an admirable idea, provided you are not looking at providing abortions, in which case it's a whole other fight. (that was a hard thing for me to say, coming from the Roe v. Wade generation of women, but realities are realities).

The shocking comment to me (it shouldn't be) was that medications are the main stumbling block. Most of these are simply pre-natal vitamins, high in iron and folic acid. They are cheap in North America............

Many of us tourists want to give something back to the country that hosts us once or twice a year. A healthy baby would be a wonderful "thank you" gift.

If you get your clinic up and running, please let us know. I know that I for one would be willing to help.

Rose
 

drbill

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Dec 3, 2005
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cbarrin, it's going on a week now- why not say who your agency is, what services it provides, just a few details to define things, perhaps?
 

cbarrin

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Feb 1, 2005
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Sorry I was out of town...yes, I currently work for a pregnancy center here in the U.S. and have a very strong connection in the DR...everytime I'm there, I would explain to people my line of work...I always receive responses such as....We need something like this here....well I started thinking about it...and made a proposal for my job to consider...starting a Pregnancy Center in the DR...so we'll see....but I wanted to see how would this be received in the DR...
 

drbill

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welcome back

drbill said:
cbarrin, it's going on a week now- why not say who your agency is, what services it provides, just a few details to define things, perhaps?
You're probably aware that the term "Pregnancy Center" sounds vague.
 

cbarrin

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Feb 1, 2005
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Pregnancy Center...

Being able to provide counsel to women who are pregnant...providing them with resources, prenatal education, counseling, etc...we are not an abortion clinic...and don't even refer out to abortion clinics....

Does this definition help some..?
 

drbill

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Dec 3, 2005
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absolutely

As you see from other posts, there is a desperate need for this type of asssistance- demand is much greater than supply. Who funds your agency? Who operates it? Volunteer/paid staff? etc.
 

Rick Snyder

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Nov 19, 2003
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Profamilia, an affiliate of International Planned Parenthood, is an organization that does a lot of work within the DR concerning to desire of the OP. They also supply a lot of medicines to the populace and hospitals of which some hospitals charge for these medicines even though they have been donated free. Here is an abstract from International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western hemisphere Region dated from 2001 that explains some troubles experienced by that organization. Sorry I don’t have anything more recent.

Rick

Edited to add this article as it is relevant to the discussion.
 

cbarrin

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Feb 1, 2005
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I'm very surprised at the positive responses I'm getting from this post...well I'm working on it...if the proposal goes the way I'm hoping...it will be paid staff, preferably those trained in the field of counseling or related field, we will advertise heavily in the community. We will provide free pregnancy test for women, providing them with resources in the community, basic education on prenatal care, and the importance of....and the harm caused by self-induced abortions(since it's illegal there)...we are funded through fundraisers and private donations...