Roe V. Wade 40 years later in Shreveport

Quoting scriptures from the Holy Bible, this small group of people against abortion rallied together outside Hope Medical Group in Shreveport.

It's been 40 years since the supreme court made history with its decision in Roe V. Wade. Now, decades later, people like Amanda May still think abortion is not the only option.

"There is a choice, and this isn't their only choice," says May. "There is hope, and this is not hope; even though it's called Hope Medical Group. Basically I'm here to plead for the baby's lives, the voiceless."

Seven years ago Amanda had an abortion here at the clinic. A decision she now regrets.

"I didn't get any options here but one option," says May. "I asked for other options. I got one option and it was have an abortion."

The clinic's administrator declined to talk with us on camera , saying she was concerned for her safety.

But she emailed us a statement. Part of it said: "While abortion may remain legal, it has become more difficult to obtain as providers are faced with complying with regulations that have little to do with safety and more to do with limiting access." 

According the the Guttmacher Institute, in over 20 states, including Louisiana, it's a requirement to show a pregnant woman an ultrasound of her unborn child prior to getting an abortion. She must also receive one-on-one counseling.

While Hope Medical Group offers abortion as a primary option to pregnant women, the ArkLaTex Crisis Pregnancy Center gives alternative options.

Vickie Brumley is the executive director, and she says her staff works to educate women on all things surrounding their pregnancy. They also warn against the effects of abortion.

"I don't think it's a good decision," says Brumley. "I think it hurts women. I think it hurts families. When a woman has an abortion many times it will affect the whole family, because it affects her."

People like Amanda agree.

"It's never okay to kill, and it is not okay to take innocent blood," says May.

Meanwhile, the administrator of the abortion clinic says for her the central issue remains a woman's freedom to control her own medical care, and that lawmakers have no business in a woman's bedroom or doctor's office.



Full statement from Hope Medical Group:

"Today marks the 40^thanniversary of the supreme court ruling affirming women have the right and are capable of deciding when the time is right to have a child... In the past two years alone, lawmakers across the U.S. have passed 135 new laws restricting abortion care under the guise of "protecting" women from a procedure that is ten times safer than carrying a pregnancy to term. While abortion may remain legal, it has become more difficult to obtain as providers are faced with complying with regulations that have little to do with safety and more to do with limiting access. Deciding to terminate a pregnancy isn't an easy decision. Women know when they can responsibly start or add to their families. Most are already trying to take care of the children they have or complete their education so they will not be dependent on financial assistance. This is more important than ever with state cuts in funding for programs benefitting women and children. Recent national elections have shown us women voters are beginning to acknowledge our reproductive rights have eroded. Hopefully this will be a wakeup call to our state officials. They need to understand they have no business in our bedrooms and doctor's offices. State law prohibits state or federal money being used for abortion care."