Combatting Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Every person facing an unplanned pregnancy deserves comprehensive, unbiased, and medically accurate information so they can make the decision best for themselves and their future. But right here in Virginia, fake clinics outnumber our trusted, comprehensive reproductive healthcare providers nearly 4:1 — and their well-documented manipulation and disinformation tactics put patients’ health and freedom in jeopardy.
As of 2020, REPRO Rising Virginia has identified 59 fake clinics throughout the Commonwealth, compared to only 16 licensed abortion providers.
Fake clinics, also known as crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), are not-for-profit centers that often advertise free pregnancy tests and other services to people facing unplanned pregnancies while deceptively promoting an anti-choice agenda. Their most common services include: free pregnancy testing, onsite ultrasound or ultrasound referrals, counseling, and short-term financial or healthcare assistance. Some fake clinics also operate or work in connection with adoption agencies. The majority of fake clinics are run by volunteers, though a few have trained medical professionals onsite, often working as volunteers once or twice a week.
While many fake clinics claim to provide unbiased information and assistance, their fundamental goal is to dissuade people from considering their full range of reproductive healthcare options, especially abortion care. Fake clinics use a diverse set of tactics, including providing medically inaccurate and deceptive information on reproductive health, fetal development, miscarriages, sexually transmitted diseases, contraception, and abortion.
Fake clinics are incredibly harmful and prevent people from accessing abortion care. Take a look at the list below so you are able to identify and warn your friends of the dangers of CPCs near you!
Do you or someone you know need help accessing abortion care? Visit our Abortion Resources page