An unintended pregnancy may be the last thing on your mind as you're helping your student navigate college, but it does become an issue for some students.
The campus offers helpful resources, starting with the Cowell Student Health Center. Students can receive contraception information, a prescription for an emergency contraception or a pregnancy test. If the test is positive, the health center offers counseling to help the student decide whether to continue the pregnancy.
"We would encourage students with an unplanned pregnancy, with or without adequate family and social support or known financial resources, to seek consultation with campus health or counseling services," says Dr. Michelle Famula, director of health center.
In instances of unplanned pregnancies, Famula and her staff can offer referrals for abortions as well as a full spectrum of guidance for obtaining prenatal care. In addition, Famula says medical providers at the center often refer students to Counseling and Psychological Services on campus to help them explore their feelings about their options and available resources.
Support for continuing school
Although the health center doesn't provide prenatal care, medical staff regularly provide referrals to local women's health providers and offer guidance to students -- male and female -- to help them plan for financial, housing, and child-care logistics should they decide to become parents.
"There's no reason why a pregnant student can't stay in school," says Connie Wylie, a nurse practitioner with the health center.
Wylie says the medical staff office works closely with counselors in cases where a student misses classes or needs to ask for an incomplete due to morning sickness or other medical conditions.
"Continuing a pregnancy, with the proper resources identified, is certainly compatible with the successful pursuit of a student's academic goals," Famula says. "It's not easy, but it can be done."
Whether or not a student or partner's pregnancy is planned, family housing and child care are available on campus.
Students should check with financial aid to learn about child-care grants or scholarships designated for parents. The city of Davis Child Care Services also provides grants and a limited number of subsidies for child care to low-income parents studying at UC Davis.
Other resources
Michelle Johnston, health promotion supervisor at the health center, suggests other helpful resources for students who are pregnant or parenting.
- Women's Health Clinic at the Cowell Student Health Center
- Pregnancy information online
- Breastfeeding Support Program
- Child Care and Family Services, including information on family housing on campus, financial assistance, and other resources for parents
- Women's Resources and Research Center
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