How To Identify Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Crisis pregnancy centers, or pregnancy resource centers, disguise themselves as medical facilities, but usually have no licensed doctors, nurses or counselors. They often appear under “Abortion Alternatives,” and may have names similar to abortion clinics nearby in order to confuse patients into entering their buildings instead of the real clinics.
Once you enter a CPC, their mission is to prevent you from getting an abortion at any cost. They will use misleading language, delay tactics, emotional manipulation, intimidation, and outright lies to either persuade you against abortion or to make you miss your appointment. The worst part? It’s all completely legal and funded by federal dollars.
CPCs do their best to appear as legitimate abortion clinics, so how can you tell which is which? Here is a list of red flags for CPCs:
The words “crisis” or “resource” appear in the center’s name
Their ads use language like “Pregnant & Scared?”
They offer free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds
When asked if they provide abortions or contraception, they will not give a direct answer
The waiting room has biased pamphlets, sometimes with graphic pictures labeled as abortions
They attempt to make you feel guilty about considering abortion
They offer baby items, such as diapers and formula
They downplay the effectiveness of contraception and emphasize abstinence
They emphasize the dangers of abortion (Fact: fewer than 0.3% of patients experience complications requiring hospitalization)
They discuss the false connections between abortion and breast cancer, infertility, or mental illness, often referred to as post-abortion stress syndrome
Regardless of how you talk about the pregnancy, they refer to “your baby,” the “preborn child,” “post-abortive women,” and say that you are “already a mother.”
Crisis Pregnancy Centers: An Affront to Choice
A list of licensed abortion clinics in the United States can be found on the Abortion Assistance Blog.
