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Pro-life and pro-choice businesses share a sidewalk in Bloomington - but that's about it

Posted at 11:08 PM, Mar 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-16 16:42:18-04

BLOOMINGTON -- Two Bloomington businesses sit side-by-side in location, but they couldn’t be further apart when it comes to the services they provide.

Just one building away from the Planned Parenthood on S. College Avenue is a Women’s Care Center, the newest facility available to pregnant women who seek resources to accommodate their pregnancies.

They may look similar, but the clinics are very different in their approach to pregnancy and the options they offer women.

Planned Parenthood focuses on the options a woman has after they find out they're pregnant. The center provides a variety of services and products, such as abortion, birth control, the morning-after pill, STD testing and education on women’s health in general.  

It’s not abnormal to see protestors outside the Planned Parenthood center, but intern Betsy Astrup said she doesn’t expect anything to change because of their new neighbors.

“We’re still going to offer high-quality health care,” said Astrup.

The Women’s Care Center offers similar pregnancy services under a pro-life umbrella and a more holistic approach. Their emphasis is in determining whether women are pregnant in the first place and helping them through what comes next.

“Our vision is that every woman feels empowered,” said Women’s Care Center Vice President Jenny Hunsberger. “So she has both the opportunity and the option to choose life.”

Planned Parenthood of Bloomington serves nearly 4,000 women each year.

The Women’s Care Center has only been open a month but Hunsberger said they've been busy and are expecting around 30 babies in the coming weeks. 

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