Option Line has enhanced their service to strengthen the bridge for pregnancy help during hours when your center may not be available. They have added nurses to their team of professionally trained consultants! This enhanced service is called Option Line Plus.

How it Started

For the average pregnancy help center, 24/7 availability is impractical, and in many cases impossible. More than 20 years ago, Option Line began serving in the gap that exists during hours when pregnancy help organizations cannot be available. They have been serving as your 24/7/365 bilingual pregnancy help hotline—not only serving clients via phone, but through text, chat, email, and cutting-edge self-service tools on their website.

In the age of at-home abortion, pregnancy help must be available to clients the moment they reach out. Upon recognizing the invaluable impact education from a medical professional can have on women making such choices, they began a careful process of testing the addition of nurses to their team more than a year ago. The protocol for Option Line Plus was developed by leaders from our own Medical Impact team at Heartbeat International, all of whom have experience in pregnancy help centers—their expertise and understanding of your work informs every aspect of this project.

How it Works

During critical hours when most pregnancy help centers are not open, Option Line consultants can now schedule clients for a one-time educational call with a nurse. These calls are typically scheduled within 2 hours of the client’s initial contact, and scheduled calls have a show rate of more than 90%. During their interaction with an Option Line Plus consultant, a client will receive valuable education, better understand the value of visiting your pregnancy help organization, and finally, will be referred to or scheduled for an appointment at your center. When nurses are not on calls, they also answer chats, emails, and text messages.

What You Need to Do

As an affiliate, not a thing! As with all services Option Line provides to affiliates, Option Line Plus serves your center at no cost to you. If you haven’t been forwarding calls to them and would like to, we welcome you to start today! To learn more about how to become an affiliate, click here.

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Option Line and Option Line Plus should not be used for emergency or urgent care needs. In the case of an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. The information provided through this service is for informational purposes only. The nurses cannot provide medical diagnosis or recommend or provide treatment, and they are not a substitute for your doctor's care. Your health information is kept confidential in accordance with applicable laws.

For questions, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

by Rachel Deffenbaugh

In the wake of major headlines blanketing our news media, this is an opportunity to remember our mission, corporately unite in prayer, and refocus our sights on God who is still on the throne.

These past few years have been marred with a global pandemic, fighting to overturn Roe v. Wade, and then the aftermath of doing so—the slew of attacks by pro-abortion activists aimed at the valiant work of pregnancy centers. When it feels like the world is falling apart at the seams—enduring many hardships over these years and now facing an unprecedented crisis in Israel—we remember our mission.

On Mission

Recalling an article by Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International, he writes, “The mission of pregnancy centers is not to operate a pregnancy center! It is to reach those facing life-and-death decisions about their pregnancy with the Gospel of Life! The pregnancy center is but a method. Just like the church building is not the church, the pregnancy center is not pregnancy help.” Understanding the body of pregnancy help as an extension of the body of Christ is powerful. It’s a reminder of who we are in Christ, not individually, but corporately within the body of pregnancy help. We are a divinely appointed collective entity, where our mission transcends the four walls in which we operate.

We are called to a purpose that is greater than any one of us. Our mission is exemplified through the phone calls, conversations, and support we offer women. Our mission is exemplified in the hope we bring to women through the Abortion Pill Rescue Network (APRN) or other free resources they didn’t know were available to them.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” - Philippians 2:3-4

Unity of the Spirit

With harrowing reports coming from Israel, as Christians, we may feel like these attacks are a direct threat to us, wherever we are in the world. We know that Israel is God’s chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6) and our hearts ache when we hear the turmoil ensuing on the very land where Jesus once walked. This is an opportunity to pray; to extend our united power as the body of Christ, through the Holy Spirit within each of us, across the ocean.

“But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in Him.” - Psalms 37:39-40 (emphasis added)

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas serve as remarkable examples of unwavering faith through unceasing prayer. While incarcerated, they decided to pray and worship (Acts 16:25) instead of wallowing in self-pity, fear, and even anger. One scholar describes prison at that time as “sleepless places” without much, if any, light. With every reason to play terrifying scenarios in their imaginations—letting fear grip and overwhelm them—they instead chose prayer. Together they prayed and the Lord heard them (as He always does). He answered their prayers by causing a mighty earthquake that led to their freedom (Acts 16:26-33). Had they chosen fear, they would have missed many blessings, especially:

• the opportunity to be freed (Acts 16:36)
• the blessing of seeing a prayer answered
• the opportunity and blessing to witness the salvation of a prison guard and his entire family (Acts 16:31-34)

We can read these accounts as the framework for our own lives to pray without ceasing in every circumstance. As we unite in prayer to pray for our mission, Israel, and a future where abortion is unthinkable, we must remember to direct our time and attention upwards.

Vertical Focus

Paul and Silas shifted their focus. They opted for a vertical focus, instead of “horizontal vision.” They looked to the Lord and chose the posture of Philippians 4:6: “…in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Closer to home, pro-abortion activists and politicians engage in baseless claims challenging the integrity of pregnancy centers, while pregnancy help continues its mission to help women in need. Like Paul and Silas, our focus must be vertical. We must focus on a higher purpose than ourselves; always seeking God’s Kingdom first (Matthew 6:33). Our focus must remain on the King of Kings, who has called us according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

As we confront an uncertain tomorrow, we seize this as an opportunity to deepen our faith. The turmoil in Israel and the continued attacks by pro-abortion activists should propel us to remember our mission, unite in prayer and intercession (just as Paul and Silas chose to pray in their darkest moments), and focus vertically, keeping our eyes fixed on the Lord.

by Rachel Deffenbaugh

In honor of Respect Life Month, our attention turns toward the significance of the lives of unborn children and the pregnancy help mission to support women and their families.

The term "pro-life" is often used with varying interpretations, and frequently debated on social media. At the core of these discussions lies a fundamental question: what makes life significant? Historically, even what constitutes as alive has been central to pro-abortion arguments, with phrases like "blob of tissue" and "no proof of life" used to describe unborn children. However, advances in science have debunked these claims, confirming that “human life begins at conception—fertilization.” Today, the primary contention is not whether an unborn baby is alive but rather whether their life holds equal significance as that of the mother.

As we observe these discussions on social media, it becomes evident that the concept of significance is subjective and varies from one person to another. Pro-abortion activists do not attribute the same significance to all lives. Their stance is measured subjectively, encasing the entire movement in fluid ambiguity. It’s not enough to uphold a viewpoint dependent on emotion (like anger or fear) or personal experience.

In contrast, those of us in pregnancy help assign meaning and purpose to unborn babies based on the belief that all people are made in God's image and that children are a blessing. Furthermore, those of us in pregnancy help assign the lives of women with meaning and purpose, refraining from judging their past or present circumstances, guided by the same values. The pro-life stance is measured by scientific consistency and biblical truth.

Shifting the Narrative

While pro-abortion activists increasingly target pregnancy centers to undermine the valuable work done for women, pregnancy help continues to emphasize the significance of life.

In addition to the biblical truth that assigns human life with meaning and purpose, another component that demonstrates the significance of life is reflected in the lives touched and transformed at every pregnancy help organization around the globe. Their mounting impact shows that life—when provided with support and care—has the potential to create a positive impact on our global community. This is why (together) we promote the significance of life because we have witnessed firsthand the power that love and unity can yield.

Instead of the pro-abortion narrative that says women are incapable, the pregnancy help movement communicates the significance of life by coming alongside each woman to emphasize both the profound significance of her unborn child's life and her own.

Constructing a Foundation of Truth—Together

Those of us in the pregnancy help movement play a pivotal role in building a bridge to the redemptive and healing power of Jesus Christ. Each action we take—whether a phone call, a pregnancy test and consultation, a gospel-centered conversation, or a warm smile—contributes to this bridge. Pregnancy help is the bedrock of her support, offering compassion, care, and assistance symbolized by each piece of the bridge.

In the face of attacks from Big Abortion and its supporters, unity within pregnancy help is more critical than ever. The centers that tirelessly support and educate women and families understand the profound significance of life, and their entire existence revolves around upholding its value. Together, we are the builders of this vital movement.

As we recognize Respect Life Month, let us carry the torch of compassion, understanding, and unwavering commitment to the significance of every life. In a world filled with debates and differing perspectives, one truth remains constant: the value of each unborn child and the vital importance of supporting women and their families. We are the defenders of this cause, advocates of hope, and builders of bridges that lead to Jesus Christ. Our mission extends far beyond this month; it's a lifelong dedication to ensuring that every life is treated as significant.

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For more articles relating to the significance of life or personhood, please visit our news website here.

Christian was rescued from a chemical abortion in 2016.

What should a woman do if she starts a chemical abortion and has regrets?

A woman who would like to learn more about reversing the effects of chemical abortion and possibly continuing her pregnancy should call the Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) hotline at 877-558-0333 or go to the APR website to begin a live chat. The Abortion Pill Rescue Network™ (APRN) has nurses waiting to answer questions, explain reversal, and connect her with an APR provider in her area.

How does a medical professional enroll in the Abortion Pill Rescue Network?

Healthcare professionals with prescribing privileges can go to our provider website, click Join Our Medical Network, and specify that you would like to "provide progesterone treatment.” After receiving the information, we will confirm eligibility and add the medical provider and/or clinic to the APR Provider list. This list is used by our nurses when a client in your area requests a reversal.

We will also send you the APR Kit, which includes a program description, protocol, and documents used throughout the reversal process as well as several research articles.

How do Pregnancy Help Organizations enroll in the Abortion Pill Rescue Network?

A Pregnancy Help Medical Clinic (PHMC) offering APR services provides progesterone by dispensing onsite or through a prescription, confirming the viability and dating of the pregnancy with ultrasound, and the prescribing physician sees the patient (either at the center or in his/her office), ideally within 72 hours.

The other option for centers is to become a "consulting" center. These centers educate and refer for APR and offer free ultrasounds. They seek funding for clients in their community who cannot pay for the progesterone prescription or appointment. And they offer pregnancy and community support for women who have attempted reversal. This is the link to enroll as an APR provider or consulting center.

For more information about APRN, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

APRN Medical Director, Dr. Brent Boles, and APRN Advisory Team: Dr. Matt Harrison, Dr. George Delgado, Dr. William Lile, Dr. Julie McDonald, Dr. Karen Poehailos and Dr. Catherine Stark.

Did you know that you can utilize a guided learning plan for free? As a Heartbeat Affiliate, this complimentary feature is included as part of the benefits of partnering with us. With Academy, you are in charge of your progress and training. Accessing a learning plan is easy!

Step 1. Log in to your Academy Dashboard.

Step 2. Select the button "Enroll in a Learning Plan."

Step 3. Make one or more selections and click, “Save Changes.”

It will automatically save your selections and populate your Dashboard page.

To return to your Dashboard, select “Dashboard” from the top left menu.

Step 4. There will be a new section titled, “Learning Plans” with your selection(s).

Click on a selection to be taken to a catalog of options about your role(s).

On this page, you can view all the available competencies we have about the role you selected. Select “Edit” to find the course linked to each competency. The progress bar towards the top will show you how many you’ve already received out of the number available.

In just four simple steps, you can begin a Learning Plan designed just for you. Whether you are in leadership, development, client care, or medical, we have training and resources for you.

TIP: Keep this page bookmarked for future staff and volunteers of your pregnancy help organization!

by Lora Current

Several weeks ago, I was working remotely in a coffee shop when a woman tapped me on the shoulder. I looked up from my computer as she leaned close to me and said, “I just wanted to tell you that you look so feminine.”

This took me off guard. She didn’t say, “You look pretty” or “I like your dress”.

I spent a great deal of time thinking about that comment, trying to understand the peculiarity of her using the term “feminine” rather than a more usual compliment.

The definition of “feminine” is just “having qualities or an appearance traditionally associated with women or girls.” However, when she said, “You look so feminine,” I heard much more than a usual compliment. I heard, “You look beautiful,” “You are strong,” and “You are gentle,” all at once.

Femininity is a complex mixture of beautiful qualities and characteristics that showcase what only a woman can. Femininity is attentive yet gentle, direct yet humble, confident yet aware, and independently dependent.

Unfortunately, the term “feminine” has been wrongfully smeared in the eyes of many women. It has become a dismissive term or rather a dismissive quality, that women now try to avoid as they strive to live bold and empowered lives.

Femininity has been shaped into an insult to say, “You are weak,” “You are needy or incapable,” “You are less than a man,” or simply “less than.”

There has even been a cultural revolt against the style or look of femininity with oversized fashion, unisex clothes, and a veer toward a more masculine physique.

Present culture tries to minimize any difference between male and female actions, looks, roles, and distinctions and says, “We are the same; therefore, we are equal.”

As a result, femininity has been an innocent casualty in a battle to discover what we perceive to be the true worth of ourselves and our gender.

"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." - Genesis 1:27

However, even many who consider themselves feminists have rejected the false idea of dismissing femininity, saying we need to empower femininity itself rather than deconstruct the reality of true masculine men and feminine women.

To understand femininity, or rather to understand the beauty and significance of true femininity, we must first understand the beauty and significance of the distinct differences between men and women.

My argument is we are not the same; therefore, we are the other’s perfect complement. 

"The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'" - Genesis 2:18

Women and the unique distinctions and qualities of a woman not only aid society, men, and families but also serve as an incredible complement to men in society and family. In the same way, when men take on the responsibility of being masculine men, they are not the equivalent but rather the perfect complement to women in society and family.

The unique role of each gender is intentionally designed for a specific purpose, which we each benefit from daily.

As a woman, intrinsically feminine, I rely on the men around me for leadership, protection, strength, and structure. In return, I offer insight, safety, encouragement, and patience. These roles are easier to see and appreciate inside the context of marriage and family, and within a mother’s role versus a father’s role.

However, there are many benefits of these differences outside of marriage and children. The dynamic of roles that I laid out applies to my relationship with my father and brothers, with my male boss, with the men in my church, and with other men who have specific relationships in my life. The exchange is a transaction in the sense that each party gives and receives; however, it is not a forced effort where we strain to be able to provide our side of the equation.

The beautiful thing about women is that we naturally lean toward femininity and exhibit feminine behaviors such as gentleness, sensitivity, empathy, charm, and collaboration. Because women were created and designed to be nurturers, those traits come naturally.

We should not feel pressured to suppress the want or desire to be feminine, to succeed like society says we do. In fact, when we embrace who we truly are, and our natural inclinations, we can fully utilize and benefit from the traits and qualities we have. The quality of femininity is to be valued and aspired to as we see the positive effects it has on our relationships, life circumstances, and personal growth.

Though, that is not to belittle uniqueness or individualism. For example, I am a woman who does exhibit some more masculine traits such as directness, goal orientation, and assertiveness. Those are qualities that I value about myself and that have allowed me to achieve the goals I have set for my life. Most of us express some degree of both masculine and feminine traits.

As women, we are capable of a great deal, including many tasks, jobs, or roles deemed “masculine.” And although there are times and seasons when we must step into those areas, we will always revert to our natural design and characteristics of femininity.

My warning is that when we embrace masculinity to the point of losing our feminine, definite qualities, we create a turmoil inside ourselves that is seen all too often. We will never have peace while fighting against who we are.

Women can and should be leaders. Women can and should be able to live independently. Women can and should be courageous. However, in terms of living fully within who we were created to be, women should strive to be, act, and look feminine. This does not mean “weak and incapable,” but rather empowered with the peace and fulfillment of being a woman. Understanding and appreciating all the responsibilities and benefits that come along with that.

When the woman came up to me in the coffee shop, I looked up from my computer as she leaned close to me and said, “I just wanted to tell you that you look so feminine.”

I smiled and said, “Thank you, I try.”

by Lori Kuykendall, President of Beacon Health Education Resources

Planned Parenthood boasts itself to be the largest provider of sex education. Given their business model of providing abortions (and now the second largest provider of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones), it makes sense that they would want greater access to students through sex “education” in schools and community groups. Those students are potential clients. If they follow their “comprehensive sex education” guidance to use condoms and/or birth control, they will eventually need their contraception services, STI testing and treatment, and tragically too often, abortion.

I was hired by Women’s Pregnancy Center in 1995 as the Teen Outreach Director. The new position was created by the Board and directors who said, “We want to reach the girls before they need us.” God had given them a clear calling to go out to local schools, churches, and community groups with a prevention program. I was a new college graduate with a degree in health education and a calling to full-time missions. God answered all our prayers, and we got to work!

Developing Our Calling

Too many clients were sharing comments like “No one ever told me that…” or “We thought we wouldn’t get pregnant if we…” or “We had sex by accident.” Too many didn’t know God’s good plan for sexual integrity nor the dangers of sex outside that plan. In response, we developed a medically accurate, age-appropriate program for public schools and a faith-based version for churches and private schools.

Many centers, like Women’s Pregnancy Center, have felt a calling and the capacity to offer prevention programs to help address the abortion issue further “upstream.”  Many are now active in area schools, churches, and community groups sharing a clear message of abstinence-until-marriage, or what is called Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) or Optimal Health Education. Some centers develop their research-based programs and others use national curriculum.

About the Curriculum

Prevention/SRA programs share life-giving truths about the risks of pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and the emotional risks of nonmarital sexual activity. They present the miracle of life and fetal development. They encourage positive character development, healthy relationships, and respect for the inherent value of every person. Effective programs deliver clear messages using trained, relevant presenters and help to establish a community of support for making the healthiest decisions for physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health.

The Tremendous Impact of Prevention/SRA Programs

Heartbeat’s vision is “to make abortion unwanted today and unthinkable for future generations.” When we help prevent crisis pregnancies among young people through clear guidance away from nonmarital sex, we are reducing abortion among that population. When we teach a classroom of teens about fertilization and the earliest days of development, we are making abortion less wanted and life more evident. My favorite benefit is the long-term one: when we are helping young people save sex for marriage, we are strengthening those marriages and their future families and having a strong, healthy impact on future generations.

There is great power in prevention for pregnancy help centers. If your center is already active in this space, stay trained and advocate well for SRA programs in your community. If your center is considering prevention outreach, keep an eye out on our Live Virtual Classes page in the Heartbeat Academy. Watch for an announcement of the next possible online course; "Prevention and Community Outreach for Pregnancy Help Centers” is in session now and may be offered again at a future date. And if your center is not feeling the call or capacity to do so, look for other organizations in your area who are and explore ways to partner.

*Names have been changed for privacy.

Option Line is free to Heartbeat International affiliates.

Click here to learn all of the benefits of being an affiliate! If you would like to become an affiliate, simply click here to get started.

A few years ago, a donor asked Ellen Foell, International Program Specialist for Heartbeat International, for the metrics of an international pregnancy center affiliate in Israel. This sparked a conversation with the pregnancy center, Be'ad Chaim, about what donors look for before giving to an organization. After sharing some tools with their National Director, Sandy Shoshani, she thoughtfully put together this video.

Donors Like Metrics

According to a study by Stanford Philanthropy and Civil Society, while observing donor behavior they learned that 70% of donors "tend to research their gifts." This finding is important to remember when considering what data to track based on what matters most to donors. 

As you see from the video, tracking key data can be painless and seamless. As a pregnancy center, essential items that donors will look for include:

1. The number of women who call your center that want an abortion.

2. The number of women who call your center considering an abortion.

3. The number of women who call your center who just want help, and are not abortion-minded.

Click here for a template you can use to help you get started! If you find it easier to track online, make a copy of this Google template and use it for your center's calls. (Important: Make a copy of this Google form BEFORE using it.)