Pregnancy centers deceptive

Brooklyn Middleton/Staff Writer

New York City Council is passing legislation that would mandate “Crisis pregnancy centers” upon arrival to inform women that they do not offer abortion, referral to abortion services, or contraceptives, and only offer non abortion related options counseling.

It is essential that this bill is passed and replicated on a national level to demonstrate the need to protect pregnant women from being manipulated and duped by anti-choice organizations that politicize women’s health.

The ruse of these centers is to manipulate pregnant women seeking options counseling to think they are in a medical clinic, but in reality are in an anti-choice environment that propagates misinformation by non-trained “counselors.”

According to the National Abortion Federation, Crisis pregnancy centers, “deceptive tactics extend to their physical appearance as well. CPCs often design their facilities to look like actual health care facilities with a waiting room, a partitioned check-in desk, and an ultrasound machine.”

Advertisements on billboards that read, “Pregnant? Scared? We Can Help,” lure women into centers where they are offered counseling and free pregnancy tests.

However, in a study conducted by National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, the “counseling” women received could be more accurately described as a bombardment of non-factual “statistics” about the trauma and harm of abortion.

Why are these crisis pregnancy centers so outraged by this proposed legislation? If they have no hidden agenda to guard, what is so problematic and offensive about clarifying the ideology that is inherently part of their business?

According to The Wall Street Journal, Marcy Sarosick, executive director of a Bridge to Life crisis-pregnancy center, said, “I don’t think we should be forced to [tell clients we are not a medical clinic].” She also expressed concern that women could “just walk out.”  These women would presumably “walk out” because the centers are not what they originally thought they were, proving that this legislation is vital to stop the lies.

When calling “Option Line,” and inquiring what kind organizations I could be referred to and which services were offered, the operator informed me, that she could refer me to a center to “find out what your concerns are. They won’t refer you to an abortion clinic but they will answer your questions.”

When I asked if there was a medical doctor at the clinic, I was informed that there was not, just “options counselors”. When I pressed further and asked if they were psychologists or trained therapists, I was informed that, “they are people who deal with your situation, everyday.”

Intentionally vague, I immediately thought of the danger of vulnerable girls and women seeking abortion services and instead being handled by non-trained therapists.

The potential misinformation and infliction of guilt is not only morally wrong but also detrimental to the women’s health; the longer an abortion is delayed, the more risk for complications there is. This legislation is simple and needed; it prevents centers from operating under a façade and illuminates an ideology that denies choice.