Pregnancy Services

Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast is a safe, compassionate, and non-judgmental place to turn for health care and information about your pregnancy, including all of your options.

We’re here for you. No matter what.

In this drastically changed reproductive health landscape, Texans and Louisianans need a trusted place to turn for expert, compassionate care and information. No matter what your circumstances are, we offer several pregnancy-related services, including:

Pregnancy testing

An easy and accurate way to find out if you’re pregnant, pregnancy tests work by checking your urine for a hormone called hCG that your body makes if you’re pregnant. Pregnancy tests are most accurate when you take them after you’ve already missed your period. The earlier you know you’re pregnant, the sooner you can start thinking about your options and get whatever care you need to stay healthy.

Pregnancy counseling

People who are pregnant have three options — parenting, adoption, or abortion. Your personal decision is yours alone, and everyone’s situation is different. While PPGC can no longer provide abortion care, we’re here to provide accurate, non-judgmental information about all your options, answer your questions, and offer support as you make a decision — no matter what you decide about your pregnancy.

Dating ultrasounds

An ultrasound is a safe and painless way to help determine how far along a pregnancy is to provide more information about your options. It shows you and your provider an image of your uterus and can also help rule out an ectopic pregnancy.

Evaluation for early pregnancy loss and miscarriage management

If you’re experiencing pregnancy complications or think you may be having a miscarriage, our providers can evaluate you and provide care and/or information. If we can’t provide your care directly in our health center, we can connect you to a trusted community partner who can.

Patient navigation for out-of-state abortion

While we can’t provide abortion at PPGC, we can help connect you to safe and legal care in another state. Visit ppgulfcoast.org/abortionhelp for more information.

Pre- and post-abortion care

We’re still here to help you before and after an out-of-state appointment. Pre- and post-abortion care can include providing medically accurate information, answering any questions you may have, ultrasounds to date your pregnancy before an out-of-state abortion or confirm that you are no longer pregnant after an out-of-state abortion, and providing follow-up care like birth control, emergency contraception, and other family planning services.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I schedule an appointment?

We can help you if:

You need to find out if you are pregnant or how far along you are
You are pregnant and want to discuss all of your options — including parenting, adoption, or abortion — and need information about obtaining prenatal care, adoption referrals, or out-of-state abortion care.
You are pregnant and experiencing complications and/or have questions about your pregnancy
You received an abortion in another state and want to confirm you are no longer pregnant, get started on birth control, or have other follow-up questions about your care

Can you help me if I’m having a miscarriage?

Depending on your symptoms and the stage of your pregnancy, we may be able to help you in our health center. We provide miscarriage management in our Center for Advocacy and Reproductive Empowerment in Houston. In New Orleans, if we can’t provide your care directly, we can connect you to a trusted community partner who can.

When and where is this care available?

Pregnancy testing and counseling are available at all PPGC health centers, and abortion patient navigation and miscarriage management are offered through our Center for Advocacy and Reproductive Empowerment (C.A.R.E.) in Houston. Pregnancy dating ultrasounds, evaluation for early pregnancy loss and miscarriage, and pre- and post-abortion care are available by appointment in Houston at our C.A.R.E. Center and starting September 7, 2023 in our New Orleans health center, offered Monday-Friday. We plan to expand this care to our Baton Rouge health center later this year. Call 1-800-230-PLAN for more information or to book an appointment, or schedule online at ppgulfcoast.org/book.

Do you accept Medicaid?

We DO accept Medicaid in Louisiana, but unfortunately we cannot accept Medicaid in Texas. Without consideration for our patients, the state of Texas has blocked people with Medicaid from using their coverage to pay for care at any Planned Parenthood health center in the state. Learn more here.

Does Planned Parenthood provide prenatal care?

We can provide information about the importance of prenatal care for a healthy pregnancy and how to connect with a local prenatal care provider. You can learn more during your visit.

What does a dating ultrasound not tell us?

A dating ultrasound does not tell us the following:

Whether or not the pregnancy is healthy or will continue
Sex
Genetic information
General health of your pelvic structures (uterus, ovaries, tubes, bladder)

What are the limitations of a dating ultrasound?

A dating ultrasound is not a comprehensive gynecological or obstetrical scan.
If you are continuing the pregnancy, it’s important to have a more comprehensive ultrasound with your prenatal provider.
If you are planning to end the pregnancy, it’s important to follow up with an abortion provider. While we can’t provide abortion care in Texas or Louisiana, we can help connect you to safe and legal care in other states. To learn more, visit ppgulfcoast.org/abortionhelp.

What if the ultrasound doesn’t show a pregnancy?

Occasionally, a person has a positive pregnancy test but no pregnancy is seen on an ultrasound. This might happen when:

The pregnancy is in your uterus but it’s too early (too small) to be seen on the ultrasound
The pregnancy is not in your uterus (ectopic pregnancy)
You have had a miscarriage but enough hormones are still present in your body to cause a positive pregnancy test

In any of these cases, the clinician will talk with you about next steps.