Crisis Pregnancy Centers must be held accountable
By: Kali Bauer, Executive Coordinator, Minot Women’s Network
August 5, 2024
Have you ever seen a sign on the side of a building or on a billboard with advertisements such as “Unexpected Pregnancy? We provide free pregnancy testing,” “Pregnant and Scared? Free ultrasounds are available!,” or “Considering an abortion? Peer counselors are here to help”? These advertisements may also mention things like free STD testing or free maternity and infant supplies, and may specifically target individuals who are “afraid” or “alone” and in need of “answers,” and that they’re “here to help.” These are all advertisements for Crisis Pregnancy Centers, and they are hiding in plain sight in our communities.
Crisis Pregnancy Centers, or CPCs, are a danger to the health and safety of pregnant individuals seeking medical care, and a threat to their bodily autonomy. Many CPC staff members provide false and misleading information about the risks of abortion, and use tactics such as purposeful delays to divert pregnant individuals from accessing comprehensive and timely care from patient-centered, appropriately trained, and licensed medical professionals. They have also been known to use disturbing visuals, perform fake ultrasounds, and deploy emotionally manipulative tactics such as shaming pregnant people into making a coerced choice under the guise of providing information or a diagnosis. CPCs have been known to downplay the risks of pregnancy and childbirth for individuals without knowing their full medical history, all while providing their “services’ as untrained and unlicensed individuals not subject to the ethics outlined by a regulatory medical board. Furthermore, CPCs are not legally required to follow HIPM guidelines because they are not a legitimate, licensed medical clinic or facility, which means they are not obligated to keep a client’s personal information private. All of these factors have been proven to be a danger to public health, yet they have been able to get away with these practices for decades.
What is even worse is that over those same decades, they have also been receiving federal funding. Over the last 5 years, CPCs have received nearly $430,000,000 from taxpayer dollars. A new report from Health Management Associates (7) has revealed that more than 650 CPCs in 49 states received federal funding \across a variety of programs, with very little transparency.
Recently, U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, D-Md, and Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., have called on the Government Accountability Office to investigate this funding, writing in a letter, “Given the concerns from medical professionals and reproductive health experts that CPCs are not bound by medical and ethical practice standards and often do not provide medically accurate information or health care … we have serious concerns that CPCs continue to receive millions in federal aid with little transparency and accountability to the public.”
Although it is being investigated at the national level, North Dakota has the same set of problems. Seven CPCs exist across the state and they receive ample funding from the state.
Our organization urges our local and state leaders to address this problem in order to protect the health and safety of pregnant individuals in North Dakota, and across the country. The danger that CPCs present include significant delays in accessing legitimate, evidence-based health care provided by trained medical experts, with the continued deceptive practices of CPCs contributing to the spread of medical misinformation with a complete disregard to an individuals right to privacy and personal security. CPCs must be held accountable for their practices, and be held to the same ethical standards as any other medical service provider. It is imperative that we work together to ensure that all individuals are able to receive comprehensive medical care from licensed experts, rather than untrained clinic staff members posing as legitimate medical providers. We firmly believe that every single person deserves the ability to feel safe and confident in their healthcare decisions, without being persuaded or coerced.