How to Identify and Avoid Crisis Pregnancy Centers
As the fight for reproductive rights gets closer to a landmark year in the future, people are left to decide between contraceptives and family planning.
Many people find crisis The center for pregnant women.s to beComplicated
A group designed to prevent pregnant people from getting abortion care. In some cases, these organizations discourage the use of birth control.
“Although they may appear to be professional healthcare centers, they aren’t regulated or licensed. There isn’t any clinical oversight that requires CPCs to provide medically accurate information.”
Many of the CPCs are affiliated with religious organizations that oppose contraceptives and abortion.
Free pregnancy tests, pregnancy counseling, and prenatal care are advertised by the CPCs. In some cases, they may even provide these services, but they usually have a catch.
If you are pregnant and want to learn about what options are available to you, the workers at the CPC will only discuss your options for birth. If you carry the baby to term, the workers of the CPC will advise you to either raise the baby yourself or put it up for adoption.
CPC workers will not tell you about your options for abortion or assist you in accessing this care, even if you ask them to. If the center does offer information about abortion, it’s usually medically inaccurate.
If an organization looks promising, be sure to search the name and address in the Crisis Pregnancy Center Map. You can also check ReproAction’s Fake Clinic Database and the #ExposeFakeClinics resource hub.
Check the name
“The first thing that comes to mind is the organization’s name.”
A crisis The center for pregnant women. is also called that.
- The center for pregnant women.
- The center for pregnant women.
- The center for pregnant women.
- The center for pregnant women.
- The center for pregnant women.
- “The women’s health center.”
- “The women’s resource center.”
- The center for abortion.
- The life choices center is where life choices center is located.
- The options clinic.
“These words can be used to describe the organization’s services.”
But don’t stop there — crisis The center for pregnant women.s often co-opt language used by real clinics and healthcare professionals. Take a look at all aspects noted below before making a decision.
Review the advertisement or website
“Next, look at the organization’s website.”
As highlighted by a
“The ads may suggest that you can reverse an abortion. This isn’t possible.”
Many of the CPCs are affiliated with religious networks. You might see references to other affiliations.
- Birthright International is a country.
- The care net.
- The Heartbeat International.
- The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates is a non profit organization.
The CPCs may also promote a pro-life message.
These advertisements are often posted around health centers that offer contraceptives or abortion services.
Look at nearby businesses or services
“The organization’s location may be indicative.”
Similar to their advertisements, the CPCs are often located near health centers that offer birth control, emergency contraception, or abortion services.
Advocacy organization Legal Voice shares an example of this in a 2018 guide to CPCs.
Legal Voice looked at the results of local abortion services by searching for them on the internet.
The search results for abortion were displayed with a call to action.
Life Choices Pregnancy Medical Center is located just blocks from the Yakima Health Center, which is on the list of providers served by the search engine.
The search results for abortion vancouver wa had a CPC called Options360 Clinic.
The Options360 Clinic is located across the highway from the Planned Parenthood.
Ask about all available services
You can spot red flags by calling the organization and asking about its services.
“A health clinic that is trustworthy will be transparent about what services it offers and will give a referral for any services it doesn’t offer.”
“If the organization doesn’t offer contraceptives like condoms or abortion services, ask if they can refer you to a clinic or provider who does.”
If you are talking to someone, the organization is likely a CPC.
- “You won’t be referred to a birth control or abortion provider.”
- You can come into the clinic to discuss your request for contraceptive or abortion services.
- If you come into the clinic for a consultation, they will refer you to a birth control or abortion provider.
- If you continue the pregnancy, the promises of financial aid or other support will be made.
- only offers information about fertility awareness methods for birth control
- says negative things about condoms or other forms of birth control, abortion, or sex
- It is not true that abortion is unsafe or illegal.
The fake clinics look like real health centers. They want to lure people who are pregnant into their organization to give birth.
The same or similar language is used in the advertisements of real health centers. It is natural to be confused by this and make an appointment at a CPC, even though the workers count on it.
If you just left the waiting room or are currently at a CPC, the following can help you determine if it is.
Things to watch for
There are posters on the walls in the waiting room, mobile van, and office room.
Is it emphasized that pregnant is scary? Do they ask you to live? Do they talk about the love of Christ or other religious statements? Do they have a negative stance on premarital sex?
If so, you might be at a meeting.
“If you take a pregnancy test, pay attention to how the administrator handles it. The organization is likely a CPC if the administrator delays giving you your result, refuses to give you your results, or doesn’t give you a result in writing.”
If your test result is positive, the workers of the CPC may begin to talk to you as if you already decided to continue with the pregnancy. They may offer you baby clothes, diapers, or other items to help you prepare for birth.
If you have expressed that you are unsure about carrying the pregnancy to term, they may present a model of a fetus or a baby doll for you to hold.
A worker from the CPC may tell you to raise a child yourself or consider adoption if you ask about abortion.
If they talk to you about abortion, a CPC worker will usually say that it is unsafe and that it can cause mental health conditions.
In some cases, they may attempt to reassure you that you have “lots of time” to get an abortion, regardless of whether this is actually true. This tactic can cause pregnant people to miss the legal window for abortion in their state or region.
“Take note of what methods they don’t offer when you ask about birth control. If the organization can’t give information about or administer, they’re likely a CPC.”
Generally, a CPC only offers information about fertility awareness methods. Fertility awareness methods may also be called the rhythm method or natural family planning.
How to leave an uncomfortable appointment
It may be tempting to leave the front door if you start to suspect you are at a CPC. If you feel like you can do it safely, this is the best bet.
“If you don’t realize it right away or are already in a back room discussing sensitive health information, you may want to leave a little early.”
You might say something if you are talking to someone.
- This has been helpful. Thank you so much for the information.
- I am not ready to commit to anything. Can I talk to you later this week?
- I have everything I need for now, so I will head out.
If you are sitting alone or waiting for a worker to meet you, you should gather your belongings and head to the nearest exit.
If a worker asks where you are going, you might try to say you are not leaving.
- I just got a call from my fiancée, so I am going to step outside.
- I need to feed the parking meter.
- “I don’t know why my car alarm is going off.”
It is helpful to talk about your experience with a trusted partner, friend or loved one once you are in a safe and secure place.
Aftercare
A phone call or appointment with a CPC can be a traumatic event. You might feel shocked, confused, fearful, sad, or angry afterward. You might be irritable, have difficulty focusing, or have trouble sleeping. These and more are common reactions to trauma. Learn how to move forward and begin recovery.
Most city and county health departments offer family planning services, including contraception, pregnancy testing, and prenatal care. You can find your local health department via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s
Planned Parenthood clinics also offer a variety of family planning services, as well as medication abortion and surgical abortion procedures. You can find your nearest Planned Parenthood via the organization’s online search engine.
You can use one of the online abortion providers.
- I need ana.com
- The National Abortion Federation is a national organization.
- There is a directory of abortion clinics.
- Bedsider.
- Plan C is a plan.
“A real healthcare center is open about what services are and aren’t performed there.”
They have real healthcare professionals who have online and in person credentials. Many clinicians have their degrees on display in their reception area.
Sex, birth control, and childbirth decisions are not usually pressured by healthcare professionals.
Learn more about how to access reliable care near you by checking out our comprehensive guides to birth control and family planning, STI testing, and abortion.
Each guide highlights free or lower-cost locations in all 50 states and Washington, DC.
Whether you’re pregnant, consideA ring. becoming pregnant, or want to prevent pregnancy, you deserve accurate, unbiased care and information.
A CPC might sound like a helpful resource — especially if you’re concerned about unwanted pregnancy — but these centers rarely provide medical care.
Tess Catlett is a sex and relationships editor at Healthline, coveA ring. all things sticky, scary, and sweet. Find her unpacking her inherited trauma and crying over Harry Styles on Twitter.
