Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) are 'fake' clinics that tell women facing unintended pregnancies medically inaccurate and intentionally misleading information.
What is a Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC)? Crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) are ‘fake’ clinics most often run by anti-choice organizations that advertise free services to women facing unintended pregnancies. Many CPCs are run by or affiliated with national networks, such as CareNet, Bethany Christian Services, Birthright, and Heartbeat International. The most common services include free pregnancy testing, onsite ultrasound or ultrasound referrals, counseling, and short-term materials or healthcare assistance. Some CPCs also operate or work in connection with adoption agencies. The majority of CPCs are volunteer-run, though some have medically-licensed staff onsite, often working as volunteers. While many CPCs claim to provide unbiased information and assistance to pregnant women, their fundamental goal is to dissuade women from exploring the full range of reproductive health options. And to attain this goal, they often times provide women facing unintended pregnancies with medically inaccurate and intentionally deceptive information on reproductive health, fetal development, contraception, and abortion. Currently, there are more than 65 crisis pregnancy centers currently operating in Virginia. In addition, CPCs often encourage women to delay decision-making, resulting in a far more time and resource-constricted decision. In Virginia, abortions can only be performed in clinics up to fourteen weeks, and many CPCs capitalize on this limited timeframe by suggesting the likelihood of a miscarriage. Many CPCs also intentionally suggest that gestational development is farther along than it actually is, making women wrongly-assume that abortions will not be as safe or accessible. Please visit all the links on our CPC website to learn more about these dangerous ‘fake’ clinics, read about the truths behind their lies, and see how you can take action on our campaign to ensure they don’t receive state-funding! ____________________________________________________________________________ Common Crisis Pregnancy Center Tactics: Click here to read about the deceptive tactics CPCs typically employ. Where You Can Go For Comprehensive, Unbiased Crisis Pregnancy Help: Click here to find websites of organizations that can offer judgment-free, medically accurate information as you make a decision about an unintended pregnancy (these sites are not affiliated with NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia). Where Are Virginia's Crisis Pregnancy Centers: Click here to view a map of many of the CPCs in our state! Eleven Common Crisis Pregnancy Center Lies: Click here to read some of the common lies that CPCs tell women, as well as factually-cited responses to such erroneous claims. Crisis Pregnancy Centers in the Media: Click here to read a few pieces in major news journals about CPCs. We Want To Hear From You: Click here to learn more about how you can take action and share your own stories about CPCs.
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