PSA to UConn Students: Those pregnancy resource vans are lying to you

Content warning : This article contains upsetting subject matter that may trigger some readers.

UConn students, do not seek help from on-campus “pregnancy resource vans” if you want judgment-free, comprehensive reproductive health care. They will not provide that to you. 

We are Revolution Against Rape (RAR), a student-run organization at UConn committed to ending rape culture through education, activism and reform. As a group concerned with the sexual health and well-being of the student body, we were disturbed to uncover some deceptive and dangerous practices happening on our campus. 

If you subscribe to the Student Daily Digest, you may have seen advertisements for free pregnancy resource vans under the Health, Wellness and Safety section. The most recent promotion for Nov. 4 said “the van hosts medical professionals who may distribute pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, options counseling, parenting support/education and community referrals–all free of charge and confidential.” Most anyone reading this description would assume this service provides all-encompassing reproductive health care. Indeed, the people behind these pregnancy resource vans deliberately appeal to people in crisis and imply that they will support their patients’ personal health decisions. However, their true intentions are to manipulate vulnerable individuals to comply with their anti-choice ideologies.  

These vans that periodically come to campus are organized by UConn Students for Life and the Catholic Center @ Storrs, an affiliate of St. Thomas Aquinas, Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish. The organization that actually operates the vans and interacts with patients is called Caring Families, a Christian, pro-life 501(c)3 non-profit based in Connecticut. According to their website, “Caring Families Pregnancy Services does not recommend, provide, or refer for abortion or abortifacients [nor do they] recommend, provide or refer single men or women for contraceptives.” Caring Families repeatedly expresses its pro-life stances and emphasizes that any and all care must abide by these restrictions, regardless of what the patients’ beliefs or circumstances may be. 

Furthermore, their online employment applications and “Guiding Principles and Statement of Faith” espouse hateful belief systems including sexism, misogyny, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sex shaming and body policing. 

Every human being deserves access to high-quality reproductive health care just as they deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and equity. In RAR’s opinion, organizations such as Caring Families that deceive the public, reject bodily autonomy and foster such deplorable values have no place at UConn.