In 2006, Brandi Swindell opened her first pro-life pregnancy care clinic. Ten years later, Stanton Healthcare has clinics in multiple U.S. states, one in Northern Ireland, and more on the way. It’s even caught the eye of Cosmopolitan. The abortion-supporting publication recently published a generally positive profile of Swindell’s clinics and business model, including her goal to “Replace Planned Parenthood.”

Swindell spoke with The Stream on Thursday about how Stanton — named for famed abolitionist and women’s suffrage advocate Elizabeth Cady Stanton, whose rejection of abortion is quoted on the company’s site — services women, and her expectation that it will have affiliates in Alabama, Washington, D.C., and other places within the next two years.

Beating Planned Parenthood At Its Own Game

“One of the things that Planned Parenthood tries to do — and they spend millions of dollars in marketing and advertising this — is to bill themselves, to present themselves, to women as the only choice in women’s healthcare and in unexpected pregnancy care,” said Swindell.

“Part of our idea with Stanton Healthcare is to go where the women are that are facing an unexpected pregnancy and that are trying to determine what they should do in that situation. So for us, it makes perfect sense: ‘Why don’t we go to where the women are. Abortion-vulnerable, or abortion-minded, women are often seeking out the services of Planned Parenthood because that’s what they’re told — that Planned Parenthood is the only place to go to.’”

Stanton’s strategy, she continued, “is to set up shop and open clinics right next door to Planned Parenthood. And we’ve trialed this in Idaho, and then our other affiliate locations, and it works. We have walk-ins every week who are on their way to Planned Parenthood to get an abortion or to have a consultation from Planned Parenthood.”

Calling Planned Parenthood “the largest abortion vendor chain in the world, in the nation, and right here in Idaho,” Swindell described Stanton locations as “state-of-the-art clinics that provide quality care [and] solutions to unexpected pregnancies with life-affirming alternatives.”

That appeals to women who need a clinic, she said. “Women see our signs that say, ‘Walk-ins Welcome,’ ‘Unexpected Pregnancy Solutions At No Charge,’ ‘Pregnancy Verification At No Cost To Our Clients,’ they come in. Because they’re looking for hope, and they’re looking for a professional, confidential setting that will provide them true alternatives. We see walk-ins every week, of women who have said, ‘I’m so glad I found this place, I’m so glad that there’s resources, I’m so glad I’m not alone.”

According to Swindell, the “Stanton Revolution” is totally privately funded, and all services — including, but not limited to, ultrasounds, housing assistance, counseling and adoption — are free. And unlike Planned Parenthood, which gets approximately $540 million annually from various government sources across the U.S., “we are completely and totally 100 percent privately funded,” explains Swindell.

“We rely on people who believe in our work, they believe in our mission, they believe in our strategy. We rely on people’s goodwill – if you want to help us reach women facing unexpected pregnancies, who want to help us with the message of embracing human rights for all.”

“A Very Holistic Approach” That Avoids Birth Control

 “We are advocates of empowering women, informing women, and giving them information that helps them make positive decisions,” Stanton told The Stream. “Our nurses have very real discussions with all of the women who walk through our doors. Each and every one of our clients has a very real discussion with our nurse about sexual integrity, what that looks like, what choices that are healthy for women physically, emotionally and spiritually. We have a very holistic approach.”

“We do not support any type of birth control that is an abortifacient. We also aren’t in the business of handing out condoms or whatever type of barrier method to anybody and everybody. That’s what Planned Parenthood does, they give out condoms to 12-year olds.”

“We don’t believe in giving out condoms like it’s candy. We’re into value-based sexual integrity; we’re filling a niche that women in this emerging generation aren’t going to find at Planned Parenthood. When they come to us, they’re going to get a holistic approach on sexual integrity. And they’re going to get fully informed.”

Editor’s Note: Donations to Stanton Healthcare can be made here.