Crisis Pregnancy Centers

What Are CPCs? (Crisis Pregnancy Center Map)

CPCs (also known as “pregnancy resource centers”, “pregnancy care clinics”, and “fake women’s health centers”) are nonprofit organizations with a primary aim of keeping women from having an abortion. Other aims include evangelism and promoting abstinence until marriage, marriage, and parenthood. Most CPCs in the U.S. are affiliated with national religious organizations who oppose abortion and have policies against promoting and providing contraception. Government funding for CPCs is an increasing national trend.

There are generally two types of CPCs – those that only offer pregnancy tests and pregnancy-related information or counseling and those that also offer limited medical services, such as limited obstetric ultrasounds to confirm a pregnancy. Some CPCs offer testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), but few offer STI treatment. Many CPCs also offer classes and programs (parenting, “abortion recovery”) and resources related to having a baby, such as diapers, baby clothes, etc. Many CPCs are also involved in teaching sex education in public schools.

Although some CPCs advertise themselves as “medical clinics”, they offer a only limited set of services. CPCs do not follow prevailing medical standards of sexual and reproductive healthcare.

CPCs have also been widely criticized for not being transparent about their mission and providing misinformation about sexual and reproductive health topics. Many CPCs portray their services in a potentially misleading ways. Some people may visit CPCs with misconceptions about the centers’ mission and services. CPCs frequently provide inaccurate and misleading health information, which may present obstacles to accessing appropriate healthcare.

Additional Resources:

Crisis Pregnancy Centers: What to know and how to spot them (Planned Parenthood)

Issue Brief: Crisis Pregnancy Centers (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)

The Fake Clinic Database (ReproAction)