By Kate Scanlon
Washington D.C., May 11, 2021 / 15:00 pm
The group Pro-Life Utah will park a mobile ultrasound clinic outside one of the largest abortion clinics in the state, it announced this week.
The “Pregnancy Choice Utah Mobile Ultrasound Clinic” will be parked outside of Planned Parenthood Metro in Salt Lake City, the group said on its website. The “bright pink mobile clinic” will offer women free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and options counseling about pregnancy, parenting, and adoption resources. The mobile clinic’s ultrasound machine was donated by the Knights of Columbus.
In a video promoting its mobile clinic, the group said its services are offered by “licensed medical staff and trained client advocates.”
“Pregnant women will have the opportunity to actually see their own baby and hear the heartbeat,” the Pro-Life Utah website stated. “
“Statistics show that up to 80% of abortion-minded women experience a change of heart and choose to keep their baby upon seeing the ultrasound. The ‘clump of cells’ lie is exposed, and women who view their ultrasound can realize that this is a baby!” the group said.
Mary Taylor, president of Pro-Life Utah, said in the group’s video that the ultrasound for the mobile clinic was donated by the Knights of Columbus.
“I have to take a minute and thank the Knights of Columbus,” Taylor said. “They’ve raised money and donated ultrasound machines to pregnancy resource centers across the state and across the country. We are so grateful to be a recipient of this project.”
Through its initiative that began in 2009, the Knights of Columbus has donated ultrasound machines to pregnancy centers around the world. State and local Knights councils raise 50% of the cost of the machine while the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council provides the other 50%. In the case of a mobile medical unit, the Supreme Council provides 100% of the cost of the ultrasound machine.
The 1,000th machine donated under the initiative was given to an abortion clinic-turned-medical clinic, the Mother of Mercy Free Medical Clinic in Manassas, Virginia.
Karrie Galloway, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood Association of Utah - the affiliate that operates the Planned Parenthood Metro clinic in Salt Lake City - said in a statement provided to CNA that "We acknowledge first amendment rights to publicly gather and disagree with our mission.”
“At Planned Parenthood, our patients are always our number one priority, and we do all we can to ensure each person has the information they need to make health care decisions that are best for them. That includes providing ultrasounds to every patient who comes to us for abortion care,” Galloway added.
