NARAL Pro-Choice America and Youth Allies Expose Fake Clinics

Today, NARAL Pro-Choice America announced a week of action, beginning on Monday, November 11, to raise awareness about misleading “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs) that target women in youth communities and communities of color. During this week of action, young pro-choice supporters on college campuses around the country have planned activities aimed at exposing the lies that CPCs spread to put women’s health at risk. Feminist Majority Foundation, campus groups, and NARAL Pro-Choice America’s state affiliates will all collaborate on this CPC information campaign.

Follow the CPC National Week of Action activity on Twitter #CallOutCPCs, Tumblr, and Website.

“Women who seek information about their health-care options deserve honest information – not lies and scare tactics,” said Ilyse Hogue, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America. “’Crisis pregnancy centers’ (CPCs) are fake clinics set up by anti-choice organizations with a mission to deceive and shame women to deter them considering abortion. Anti-choice groups like ‘Option Line’ target young women and women of color through deceptive advertising to lure them to local CPCs. NARAL Pro-Choice America and our allies will expose CPCs and powerful, national anti-choice organizations for lying to women.“

Featured activities during the CPC Week of Action include:

  • Campus groups will organize petition gatherings, screenings of 12th and Delaware, and LTE and op-ed submissions on CPCs
  • NARAL Pro-Choice America will start a photo blog with what young women have been told by crisis pregnancy center staff
  • Supporters will target national groups, like Care Net and Heart Beat International that run Option Line, on social media for helping local CPCs deceive women.

“Fake clinics hurt women by giving them false information, such as abortion leading to breast cancer – which is simply not true,” explained Feminist Majority Foundation President Eleanor Smeal. “Our Feminist Campus program is determined to not only expose fake clinics across the nation, but to make sure women know the multitude of their deceptive practices.”

As of today, NARAL Pro-Choice America and its affiliates conducted undercover investigations in twelve states to raise serious issues with the misinformation espoused at these facilities. In an investigation conducted by the organization’s Virginia affiliate, they obtained audio of women being told everything from birth control causes cancer, condoms are naturally porous, and abortion causes America’s economic problems. Their also report uncovered a funding stream for CPCs to receive state dollars through the purchase of “Choose Life” license plates.