More Young Adults Having Unsafe Sex

That is what a global study that was recently released says: http://news.yahoo.com/more-youngsters-having-unsafe-sex-global-study-231442651.html. They say unsafe sex is up 39% for Americans alone. My main problems with this article are: 1) they define ‘unsafe’ as getting pregnant or getting an std. 2) they look to Planned Parenthood as the sole voice of reason on why this is happening.

What is ‘unsafe sex’?

Yes, unplanned pregnancies and stds are the most obvious of side effects. Yes, but what about what it does to someone’s self-esteem, body image, sense of value, or moral/spiritual conflict? As an adult woman who knows her own story and the stories of hundreds of young women shared with me, I can assure you that these ‘other issues’ are just as traumatic to deal with and have just as lifelong a consequence. So let’s at least open up and discuss all the ways it is unsafe for a young couple when they have sex.

Why are they having ‘unprotected sex’?

I get it. There are many, many young adults that do not know the truth about or how to prevent an unplanned pregnancy or an std. We all have a responsibility to share the truths about birth control pills, condoms, etc. so that young people are very aware of what they do protect you from; but most importantly what they don’t protect you from. I talk to plenty of young adults who still think a condom provides 100% protection from a pregnancy or std. We know that is simply not true, but when you run print and TV ads that say: teenage pregnancy is 100% preventable and and link directly to a site that only talks about condoms, you are lying. Flat out lying. And while this pertains more to women (but men are not excluded), there is no protection of the heart and mind and moral compass when engaging in sex. You are simply in the deep end of the pool. There is no perfect safety net.

What do we do?

I wish it were just simply a matter of educating about condoms or pills or handing them out, but that doesn’t help young adults act like adults when engaging in sex. We have many clients who knew about condoms and had access to them, but still chose to not use them (I even see med students walk in here for our services). We cannot blame risky behavior solely on ignorance. Young adults (actually let me correct that…’people’) choose to ignore or have a hard time letting education change moral behavior. If that were the case we wouldn’t be checking for fake IDs at a bar, pulling over drunk drivers, cleaning up car accidents from those who were texting/talking on the cell while driving, or selling any more cigarettes. No it takes a whole lot more than educating about the risks or appealing to the fears in people. For true behavior to change, we need to also focus on the benefits of good choices; alternative ways to deal with desires (all desires) and creating more avenues for ongoing accountability. So the next time this topic comes up, I hope they do more than ask the opinions of Planned Parenthood.


Renee Rizzo is President and CEO of Hope Clinic for Women. She feels passionate about helping all people; especially women who have been hurt or broken, realize there IS hope, and that God has a purpose for each one of us.

Run for Life 2011

A big part of what I do at Hope Clinic for Women is organizing events, and I love it. I am a list-making, people-organizing, diagram-drawing nerd. Happiness for me is a clipboard and purpose. At current count we have 5 fundraising events and are toying with adding more. Last Saturday was a biggie. For the 28th or 29th year, our staff organized a Fun For Life event; consisting of both 5k and 1 Mile runs along with a free Family Fun Fest. Over 250 people turned out to run, walk or play in support of the life-saving, life-changing ministry of HOPE. It was a wonderful day of sunshine and fun; and equally as important, critical monies were raised that will allow Hope Clinic for Women to continue to serve.

There are roughly 357 5Ks in Nashville (possible slight exaggeration), most in support of some wonderful cause – curing disease, improving quality of life, saving something worthwhile or some just for sport. Humbling for sure, when you are asking people to choose yours to support over others. Obviously we spent some time really thinking how to promote and recruit not only runners but also fundraisers, and the first question was WHY US?

I believe that our organization is like no other. We serve people in a crisis that often comes with shame, with darkness and secrecy following closely behind. Personally I have wondered if many abortions happen not because a child could not be welcomed, but rather that the truth might just be too hard to tell. We exist to be present in the first days of crisis, to counsel medically and emotionally to bring light back into the situation. To many young women, a member of our staff will be the first person they will have to face with the news of an unplanned pregnancy, we pray for the opportunity to have that visit and take the responsibility of it very seriously. We stand faithfully in the gap for churches and families when the young woman feels unable to turn there first. Not to mention all the other wonderful ways that we serve: like counseling parents and partners, helping after a pregnancy loss, counseling through postpartum depression, and offering prevention programs to youth.

I was happy to share that message with people when I asked them to join us and support our mission, and that was the message that we celebrated Saturday when together we prayed, walked, ran, jumped, ate and played.

Not a bad job, right?

Beverly Rogers, Director of Community Relations, has been with Hope Clinic for Women for over a year and is charged with strengthening and building business relationships both with donors and the medical community and to raise awareness of the services available at HCFW, as well as the needs we have. She oversees 4 major annual fund raising events as well as church giving.

Beginning Miracles

"There is a miracle in every new beginning" - Herman Hesse

This is the quote I have above my son's crib. A brand new baby entering into the world by divine intervention I definitely call a miracle. I also love this quote because it reminds me of the miracle that happens when people move from bondage to freedom. This is why I chose to become a counselor and especially why I work at Hope Clinic.

Hope Clinic is exactly a new beginning for those in need. It is a safe, loving place to help clients find their new start. Women who hold shame, guilt, anger, or sadness come in and are able to sort through the meaning of these feelings. It is a place to find where your old, shameful self ends and a new freed self begins.

Beginnings are not easy, they can actually be extremely painful. Just as giving birth to a baby is painful, so can repairing a wounded relationship or giving up an unhealthy way to cope. The great thing is that we are here to walk along side of clients through that pain and help them reach the other side of healing. We hope for the miracle of a new beginning.

It is a miracle that God can take what is broken and make it whole. We believe He can piece together something that the world says is not fixable and repair it. This is why Hope Clinic is here and we have not given up hope. We believe in miracles.

Cindi Barrett, M.A. has been at Hope Clinic over 2 years and provides professional counseling and intern supervision. She is also a new mother, helping her relate in a more intimate way to the clients she serves.

Statement from Hope Clinic for Women in Regard to the Recent Tragedy Involving Lindsey Lowe and The Death of Her Twins

The news of a 25 year old woman concealing a pregnancy, carrying it to term, killing the babies and then concealing their bodies saddens the entire staff and Board of Directors of Hope Clinic for Women. (Click here for the story) Our hearts are broken for the incredible loss … the two newborn twins and the mother whose life will never be the same after this tragic event. Our thoughts and prayers are with all directly and indirectly touched by this event.

So many people are asking why or how this could happen. We may never know the real reasons, but frankly there are no answers that will right this wrong. One can assume for some reason she did not feel like she had a safe place to turn. I wish she would have walked through our doors. She would have heard that she had options. Today she has none and neither do her babies.

While this is a terrible time to talk about our services; it is the perfect time. Hope Clinic for Women exists for this very reason… to help women, men and families in a time of crisis. We are a safe, confidential and nonjudgmental place for women with an unplanned pregnancy to come …for any reason. Our doors are open to anyone and we offer medical services and professional counseling free of charge. We help people process in the midst of the chaos in their mind.

We work tirelessly to ensure everyone in our community knows there is a safe place to deal with such a difficult situation – and they do not have to be alone. We never want someone to go through something so difficult alone. This tragedy only increases our resolve to raise awareness more than ever before. We want to prevent this from happening in our community again. There is a safe place in Nashville to turn when all hope is lost and Hope Clinic for Women is that place.

Renee Rizzo
CEO and President
Hope Clinic for Women

Do We Really Need a Dirty Dancing Remake?

I must confess I loved Dirty Dancing when I was in college. I was also naïve. Back then I was Baby, the smart girl who never got the HOT Johnny Castle guy. So all I cared about was that this smart/not that hot chick ended up becoming this great dancer AND getting the HOT guy to fall for her. Somehow I managed to ignore the whole part about the ‘back alley’ abortion, and the fact that Baby ends up having sex with the HOT guy she has known for less than 2 weeks. I am pretty sure the version in my head has a part two where after Johnny returns for the final dance, he follows her to college, proposes, they get married and have 2.5 children with a white picket fence, thereby excusing her having sex with him so quickly. Uh yeah. When you are a virgin, this whole thought process seems quite possible. You think that when a guy has sex with you it MUST be because he sees how valuable and incredible you are and that he will never let YOU go because you are SO DIFFERENT than every other girl he has slept with.

So when talk came up recently about the remake of Dirty Dancing, I had mixed opinions along with the rest of the world simply because I didn’t think anyone could replace Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze…and since I have been told I look like Jennifer, well someone replacing US seemed …sad. But secretly, I wondered…if it meant promoting the smart girl getting the HOT guy again, I was intrigued. What I didn’t think through was: promoting that all abortions pre-legal were done ‘in a back alley’. The truth is abortions were happening in doctors’ offices back then too. Our clients admit that. Could this really be a way for pro-choice people to push the image yet again what a horrible fate will befall women if abortion is made illegal?

The other thing is that it promotes a smart girl having sex with a HOT guy within two weeks of knowing him, fully knowing that a future with him is unlikely since this is a summer romance. We don’t know if they use birth control, but we do know they have sex. And we do know that all of a sudden Johnny is a changed man. At my age, I have since learned that even the smart pretty girls who have sex with the HOT guy don’t turn them around so easily. Most don’t return for the ‘magical dance’.

I was challenged to think about this and possibly change my perception of this movie based on this article I read it online and felt really convicted. You would think in my line of work, I would have realized the negative influence this movie, wrapped in good music and some skilled dancing, could have to a whole new generation. That another generation of girls would act stupid pretty quickly when said HOT boy gives them some attention. How easily I was sidetracked….how easily could our young people be sidetracked?

http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/7121017-417/dirty-dancing-remake-will-let-young-girls-down.html

What do you think?


Renee Rizzo is President and CEO of Hope Clinic for Women. She feels passionate about helping all people; especially women who have been hurt or broken, realize there IS hope, and that God has a purpose for each one of us.

"Two Lines"

“Two lines!” As one of the pregnancy services counselors here at Hope Clinic for Women, I got used to saying (or at least thinking) this little phrase on a regular basis. Nearly every week, I saw pregnancy tests with those two little pink lines, which meant the pregnancy test was positive! After seeing a handful of positive pregnancy test, it was easy to normalize it and not think of the true implications of those words. “Two lines!” I tried to understand my clients, learn more about their circumstances, and support them in the way that they needed- that is what I loved and was trained to do. However, I could never truly know how it felt and what it meant that their test came back positive. I had never experienced the stress, the joy, the excitement, the shock, or the fear that comes with an unplanned pregnancy. Though I tried as hard as I could to understand my clients, I never truly knew what it was like to take a walk in their shoes.

A little over 3 months ago, however, I administered a pregnancy test that changed my perspective forever. Because this time, I was the client. At first glance, it looked like the test was going to be negative. However, I had to give it 3-5 minutes to process so that I could make an accurate reading! I thought, “5 minutes!!! I can’t wait that long!!!” I was so antsy that I had to just walk away and distract myself with TV while I waited. I walked back into the room where the test strip was sitting on the countertop, and sure enough, two lines. I thought maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me, so I promptly snatched it up and started inspecting it to make sure. Of course, my eyes were not deceiving me. I just stared at the test strip and said, “two lines!” These were the most exciting and frightening words I have ever uttered. I was feeling so many emotions all at once. “I am going to be a mommy!” “I hope I’m a good mommy.” “Are my husband and I ready for this?” “He’s going to be a great dad!” “Is the baby okay?” “I am going to love this baby so much!” “What am I going to do about school and work?” “We will figure it out.” “Are you sure Lord?” “Thank You Lord!”

This experience has allowed me to see my clients in a whole new light. My situation and set of circumstances is not exactly the same as anyone else’s, but on some level, I get it now. I understand the joy, the confusion, the fear, the shock, the stress, and the excitement. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you are going through, an unplanned pregnancy is a shock to the system. I now have even more respect and empathy for the women who walk through our door. More than ever, my goal is to meet them wherever they are at and support them in any way I can. I want to know what those “two lines” mean to them and how it is going to affect their lives. Everyone’s story is different and has its own unique set of difficulties and obstacles.

Fortunately for me, I am very blessed. I have a house, a stable job, health insurance, food on the table, a college education, close friends, supportive family, an amazing church, a loving husband, and a relationship with the Lord. I see clients all of the time who have nothing on that list. Woah! I have all of these blessings and I still get anxious! I cannot imagine going through this experience without these things, like so many of our clients do. My own unplanned pregnancy has really helped me put things in perspective and has given me even more compassion for the women that we serve at Hope Clinic for Women. Our purpose, our mission, and our passion for touching lives and instilling hope means so much more to me than ever before. I am blessed to be a part of this ministry and I am so proud of the work that is done inside these walls (and outside these walls.) Hope Clinic for Women offers the resources, support, love, counsel, and hope that our clients may not receive anywhere else. There is song that says, “There is hope for the hopeless, rest for the weary, love for the broken heart, there is grace and forgiveness, mercy and healing, He'll meet you wherever you are. So cry out to Jesus.” I am so blessed and humbled by the fact that Hope Clinic for Women gives hope, rest, love, grace, forgiveness, mercy, and healing to women and families every day. We get to be Jesus to a world that so desperately needs Him.

Cassidy Nelson has been on staff for almost a year after starting as an intern with us. She supervises the BRIDGE Program (Building Relationships with Individuals and Directing them towards Gaining Education), the Maternity Home, and is also one of Hope Clinic's counselors. Cassidy and her husband have been married for four years and are expecting their first child early next year.

Hope Clinic... From a New Employee's Perspective

So… I’m new here. I knew about Hope Clinic for Women before I started working here in April, but didn’t know the depth of services they provided. I have been in awe since I started and am so proud to be a part of this great organization.

Yes, I’m the marketing person here, but this is not a marketing piece I promise. It is my job to market our organization to the community and present it in its best light in every PR opportunity. However, that is not why I’m writing this blog.

I’m writing this blog because I think some of my friends were a little scared when I told them about my new position… I assured them that it wasn’t a political organization and that it was welcoming to anyone and everyone who walked through the doors. I’m sure glad that my experience here is true to that.

WWJD? (What Would Jesus Do?)

I remember these bracelets well and I had one my freshman year at the University of Tennessee. Were they cheesy? Yes, but they were also a great reminder of how to live our lives. When I came to Hope Clinic, I was overwhelmed with the WWJD attitude here. Our clients come from all different walks of life and with all sorts of different thoughts on how they are going to handle their situation. Hope Clinic welcomes them all… no judgment, just love.

I’ve never had an unexpected pregnancy. I’ve never had to face that tough decision. I’ve had to make other tough decisions though and I’ve made some bad decisions over the course of my almost 33 years. Luckily, I have experienced an overwhelming amount of love and grace in my life and I hope that for everyone who faces a bump in the road… that the same love and grace are extended to them in the midst of their crisis or bad decision.

Hope Clinic does that…

You're not alone in your struggle. We are Hope Clinic for Women, and we're here for you. We listen, we understand, and we respect your right to privacy and confidentiality. We offer comfort, support, counseling, plus free or low-cost medical treatment from trained professionals.
Anyone can visit Hope Clinic for Women. You simply have to walk through our door, where hope is waiting.

I sit in staff meetings amazed at the hearts of the staff that work here… amazing people doing extraordinary things with their gifts; from our medical staff, to our counselors, to the fundraising staff, receptionist and CEO… All women (and one man) with amazing hearts for God, who are living out what Jesus would truly do every single day. There is a genuine concern to help women, men and families. There is a genuine goal to raise money for the purpose of providing more services to our clients. It’s an amazing thing to witness and I am humbled by their hearts and their drive… And I am honored to be one of them.

Alison Cooke has been on staff at Hope Clinic for Women since April 2011. She is responsible for events, marketing, PR, websites and social media. After several years of looking for the right fit, she is sure she's found it here at Hope Clinic.