PARTNER PERSPECTIVE
Anti-Abortion Fake Clinics Are Not the Answer to Our Post-Roe Troubles
SHIREEN ROSE SHAKOURI
Deputy Director, Reproaction
Anti-abortion fake clinics—sometimes known as crisis pregnancy centers, pregnancy resource centers, and other misleading labels—exist to deceive people seeking abortion care and shame them for their choices. In the name of convincing someone to keep a pregnancy that they intended to terminate, these centers often flout medical standards, like HIPAA requirements, and hire unqualified staff to conduct medical procedures. They deploy a stunning array of deceptive and creepy tactics to prevent people from accessing abortion care, including lying about medical information, lying about state laws, and manipulating people with false religious, spiritual, and health implications of their abortion decision. And fake clinics are often supported with taxpayer dollars at the state level, and even through federal programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
These centers are almost exclusively run by large, highly-funded Christian organizations that pull in enormous donations. A shocking report by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy that reviewed public tax records from 2015-2019 found that over $4 billion in revenue went to 1291 unique organizations that filed taxes and are known to run fake clinics (and many religious organizations do not file taxes, so we know the total number for all fake clinics is much higher!). This is on top of the twenty-nine states that support anti-abortion fake clinics through state initiatives like vanity license plate programs, raking in tens of millions of dollars, and in addition to the ten states that divert TANF dollars directly to these centers instead of the low-income families who are the intended recipients of these funds.
Not only that, but these organizations often don’t even deliver on the ‘alternatives to abortion’ services they promise. In North Carolina in particular, one fake clinic chain receives millions from the state to offer faith-based counseling and other services to limit abortion rates. However, for years, it has failed to meet grant requirements for services rendered. Even ignoring the huge violation of church and state separation caused by offering taxpayer-funded religious counseling to those who aren’t seeking it, the misuse of public funds is worrying. Similar issues with fake clinics misusing funds happened in Pennsylvania, Texas, and elsewhere.
Fake clinics and the racist, sexist, Christian supremacist, homophobic ‘pro life’ movement behind them want you to believe they are offering ‘help’ to women and families in the wake of horrific abortion bans that have swept the country after they won their fight to topple Roe. Don’t let them rebrand. These organizations provide a smiling face and promises of free diapers (that often don’t materialize) to shroud the cruel goals of the far-right: stripping away our rights and coalescing totalitarian control with a fascist interpretation of Christianity as their guiding principle.
We need to fight these groups everywhere, especially at the local level. Actions as simple as flyering the community surrounding a fake clinic can reduce harm and prevent someone from being tricked out of the health care they seek. At the state level, we must oppose giveaways of state funding to fake clinics. At the national level, everyone should call on Big Tech to take responsibility for anti-abortion propaganda on their platforms and end ‘pro life’ ad buys that spread disinformation and endanger the public.
One thing is certain: people deserve to know fake clinics exist where they live. The Reproaction Fake Clinic Database lists all fake clinics in the country, organized by state. Fighting anti-abortion lies starts in one’s own backyard, and sharing information with one’s own community makes it easier.