For dozens of Dartmouth women each year, becoming a mother while attending college is a very real scenario. But pregnant undergraduates overwhelmingly choose abortion over other options to unplanned pregnancy, according to Janice Sundnas, director of Women's Health Resources at Dick's House.
While an average of 25 undergraduate students come to Dick's House each year for unintended pregnancies, Sundnas said she has only twice seen an undergraduate keep her baby in the past six years.
Sundnas said there are probably even more students who become pregnant but do not go to Dick's House for support.
The manager of Eastman's Pharmacy, located in close proximity to campus, said the store sells around 14 home pregnancy test kits a month.
These numbers may not be surprising in light of a 1997 campus sex survey conducted by The Dartmouth in which 16.4% of respondents said they had intercourse on a weekly basis.
This small epidemic of undergraduate pregnancies raises a plethora of questions. Where can a woman go if she thinks she is pregnant? What are her options?
"Women are so scared to tell their parents and friends that they are pregnant because they don't want them to say, 'You are so smart, why did you let this happen?' For women who do get pregnant, they are hard-pressed to know where to go. That is what we [the Women's Health Resources] are here for," said Sundnas.
Sundnas said that students are not advised about unintended pregnancies when they come to Dick's House, but are given half-hour appointments in which they discuss pregnancy options. She said there are three options to every pregnancy: adopting out, keeping the baby and abortion.
Sundnas said one reason students may choose abortion over other options is the lack of role models on campus. She said if you walk around campus, you don't see "that model of a pregnant woman going to classes."
She said that because students almost never keep the baby to term, other women don't realize it is a viable option. However, she added that if students want to stay in school and have the child, "it can be done."
Still abortion is the ultimate route for most undergraduates. The two local agencies that conduct abortions are Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Planned Parenthood in West Lebanon. Sundnas said that besides the two local sites, the closest clinics that perform the procedure are as far away as Concord, Burlington and Boston.
Kathy Jacobs, a nurse practitioner and site manager at Planned Parenthood, said the clinic charges $350 for abortions, which comprise 3% of their services. She said the clinic prefers to conduct a pre-exam and discuss a woman's options with her before performing the procedure.
According to Jacobs, the law in the state of New Hampshire is that only doctors can perform abortions.
Yolanda Baumgartner, associate director for administration at Health Services, said the Dartmouth Student Health Plan covers a portion of the cost of an abortion but the amount a student ends up paying depends on where she chooses to have the procedure performed.
Although it is the most popular choice, abortion is not the only way to go. For those women choosing to keep a pregnancy to term, resources are available.
The Pregnancy Resource Center of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center provides pregnancy education to the community. Susan Edwards, director of the center, said the people coming to her "are pregnant and choose to stay pregnant."
She said the center provides information and classes on pregnancy, infant and child CPR and breast-feeding, among other topics. She said services available for pregnant women at DHMC include normal Ob/Gyn services and genetic counseling.
Edwards said that many of the women coming to the center's classes are graduate students. She said one particular residence village populated heavily by graduate students is a "breeding ground" for pregnancy.
Edwards said a graduate student is much more likely to become intentionally pregnant than an undergraduate. She said most of the graduates that come to her classes have planned their pregnancies.
Sundnas said there are a number of day care options in the area, but they have waiting lists and are expensive.
The College runs a College Child Care Center, but enrollment is limited to the children of Dartmouth employees.
In addition, the role of the boyfriend in situations involving pregnancy can vary.
Sundnas said it is rare for her to see the partner accompany a woman during her initial visit to Dick's House. She said most women who suspect pregnancy either come alone or with a close friend.
Often, said Sundnas, the woman will go home and discuss the situation with the partner after she has made sure she is pregnant.
She said the boyfriend will often come back to Dick's House with the woman for further discussion.
Sundnas said that when the couple has made a decision for termination, the male partner is usually interested in knowing the side effects of the procedure.
"He needs reassurance that her health is not at jeopardy," she said.
