Guest Author - Elizabeth Ross

The title of this may come off as a bit oxymoronic to those who have been keeping tabs on the religious right’s response to pro-choice medical clinics. Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPC’s) have been popping up all over the country for years now, and the one common thread amongst them is their habit of spreading misinformation on women’s health issues, particularly on reproductive health.

Largely ignored by the mainstream media, CPC’s typically promote themselves as “clinics”, although they often do not have healthcare professionals on staff. Volunteers typically counsel women on their choices, which never involve abortion, and rarely include birth control. Some CPC’s may use delay tactics with pregnant women, offering free sonograms, but putting off appointment dates until it is too late for them to seek an abortion elsewhere.

Because of their funding sources – mostly private or church donors – they are not required to provide medically accurate information, and have been credited with promoting non-existent mental illnesses as well as unsubstantiated medical data. According to many of the CPC’s, abortion is linked to breast cancer, sterility, future miscarriages, and death. These claims have never been proven scientifically, and some have been categorically disproved. Post-abortion trauma is an invention of CPC’s – it has not been recognized by medical or psychological societies.

Unfortunately, states do not have laws at this time requiring that the CPC’s be open with the public about their purpose. Maryland is currently considering this sort of legislation in the wake of an investigation by that state’s NARAL chapter. Until laws are enacted to force CPC’s to be truthful about their mission, there are some steps women can take to verify whether or not a clinic is legitimate, and not a CPC. If clinic employees refuse flatly to offer information on abortion, it probably is a CPC. Request to see the credentials of the staff, and medical credentials for the facility. All states require some form of registration to practice medicine, and since some CPC’s don’t have medical personnel, they may not have this sort of paperwork. Finally, follow your instincts. If something seems “not quite right”, move on. Choosing healthcare facilities is an important decision, and if a facility or its staff doesn’t encourage trust, it probably isn’t the right place to be.