So-called "crisis pregnancy centers" are proliferating across the nation — a deceitful new tactic of the anti-choice movement to keep women from getting the accurate education and health services they seek.

These fake "clinics" often masquerade as health centers offering the full range of reproductive health services, when their only real purpose is to keep women from exercising their right to choice and family planning.

One such center in Indiana shares a parking lot with a real Planned Parenthood clinic, and was designed expressly to lure our patients and deceive them. Recently, people from the fake "clinic" waged a campaign of intimidation and harassment against a 17-year-old teenager who, with her mother and boyfriend, came to what she thought was our clinic for an abortion. Over the following days, the anti-choice extremists called the police to say the teenager was being forced to have an abortion, showed up at her home, called her father's workplace, and even went to her school and urged classmates to pressure her not to have an abortion.

The worst part? Your tax dollars are funding these "crisis pregnancy centers" to the tune of $30 million.

A new bill in Congress, the "Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women's Services Act" (H.R.5052), would stop "crisis pregnancy centers" from deceiving women. Urge your representative to support this important bill.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am writing as your constituent to urge you to support H.R. 5052, the Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women's Services Act, sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney.

Those who seek to restrict or eliminate access to safe, legal abortions in this country are making progress toward their goal with the expansion of their network of anti-abortion centers. These clinics entice women facing unintended pregnancies under the pretense of providing the full range of reproductive options.

Called "crisis pregnancy centers," they pose as women's health clinics and sources of unbiased pregnancy counseling, using neutral-sounding names and advertisements. They lure unsuspecting women with the offer of free pregnancy testing or HIV tests. Once inside, the "clinic" staff -- usually volunteers with no training -- try to dissuade women from exercising their right to choose by subjecting them to inaccurate, anti-choice propaganda and intimidation. According to the Guttmacher Institute, there are 2,500-4,000 centers nationwide, compared with about 1,800 abortion providers.

This week, Rep. Henry Waxman released a report on so-called "crisis pregnancy centers" (CPCs) that receive federal funding. Rep. Waxman's report found that an overwhelming majority (87 percent) of CPCs provided false or misleading information about the health effects of abortion. Often these federally funded centers repeatedly and grossly exaggerated the medical risks of abortion, falsely telling the callers that having an abortion could increase the risk of breast cancer, result in sterility, and lead to suicide and "post-abortion stress disorder."

H.R.5052 would declare it an unfair or deceptive act for an entity, such as a so-called "crisis pregnancy center," to advertise as a provider of abortion services if the entity does not provide abortion services.

If you already support the legislation, I hope you will make a special effort to promote it among your colleagues. We must put a stop to the deceitful practices of "crisis pregnancy centers."

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
April 20, 2006