Chances are, you’ve seen a crisis pregnancy center — also known as a CPC, anti-abortion center, pregnancy resource center or fake clinic — without realizing it. They market themselves as healthcare clinics for women facing unintended pregnancies while targeting women who are considering having an abortion. They make it seem as though they will walk you through your options and support you as you make your decision about what to do next by offering free services like pregnancy testing, ultrasounds and counseling. Once you walk inside the door, however, it becomes clear their mission is to persuade you to continue your pregnancy no matter what.
Despite appearances, these religiously based institutions are rarely staffed by licensed medical professionals or accredited by legitimate regulatory bodies, and therefore are not bound by HIPAA confidentiality laws or clinical regulations. This allows them to employ predatory practices based in fear, deception and shame to influence what women decide to do with their bodies. Many of their websites also include disinformation on contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted infections and other healthcare topics. For example, some claim abortion causes lasting consequences such as cancer and infertility, which is not backed by science.
One of the most common services advertised by CPCs is a free ultrasound, which appeals to many who think they may be pregnant. However, the majority of ultrasounds are performed by volunteers who are not medical professionals and can, unintentionally or maliciously, provide women with incorrect information.
There have been documented cases of CPC volunteers inaccurately estimating how far along a pregnancy is, causing a woman to believe she has plenty of time to decide if she wants an abortion when she is in fact fast approaching the legal deadline, or alternatively informing her she is too far along to get an abortion when she still has time.
In Iowa, abortion is banned when embryonic cardiac activity can be detected. This typically happens at around six weeks, before most women even know they are pregnant. This is why early and accurate medical care is essential to guaranteeing that a woman has access to all possible options. Incorrect ultrasound readings and time wasted in fake clinics could impact a woman’s ability to access care here in Iowa, which could determine if she receives care at all.
The lack of medical training also increases the risk of missing ectopic pregnancies via ultrasound. Ectopic pregnancies are never viable and will endanger the life of the mother if left untreated, so early and accurate detection is essential.
A 2024 documentary, Preconceived, offers a behind-the-scenes look into the world of crisis pregnancy centers through interviews with anti-abortion organizations, CPC employees and individuals who oppose their practices. At the heart of the film, directed by Sabrine Keane and Kate Dumke, are the stories of women who have had firsthand experiences with CPCs.
One woman, Maleeha, was seeking abortion care in Texas when she unknowingly visited a CPC. She was told that the abortion pill was so dangerous that it was banned in Texas — a blatant lie as her visit took place before the fall of Roe. Maleeha was able to get an abortion, but the fear generated from the lie compelled her to seek care outside of Texas. Maleeha was fortunate enough to be able to travel to receive the care she needed, but many women aren’t that lucky.
For a long time, CPCs have existed as entities of the anti-abortion movement without state support or backing. Recently, legislators have been attempting to award them taxpayer dollars under the guise of supporting maternal health and pregnancies.
In 2022, Republican leaders in the Iowa Legislature inserted a provision into the funding bill for the state’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) creating the More Options for Maternal Support (MOMS) program. As part of that program, $2 million was allocated to fund organizations dedicated to deterring abortion by promoting pregnancy over termination. Organizations receiving that taxpayer funding are prohibited from counseling women on pregnancy termination, but are not required to have medical professionals on staff.
The section of the bill creating the MOMS program didn’t include any consequences if participating organizations violate patient privacy or provide false information. But it did include a requirement intended to reassure people that tax dollars were being spent responsibly. HHS was required to hire a third party to manage the program. It had to be a nonprofit located in Iowa with “systems and processes in place that have been used for at least three years to successfully manage a statewide network of subcontractors providing pregnancy support services.”
MOMS was scheduled to start awarding money to CPCs on July 1, 2022, but that didn’t happen, because HHS couldn’t find a nonprofit that qualified. The agency continued its search until April 2024, when Republicans in the legislature passed a bill eliminating the requirement for third-party oversight and allowing HHS to directly administer MOMS. The agency was already doing that. HHS started the process of distributing money to CPCs four months before the bill was passed.
Not only does state funding support the growth and survival of these organizations, it also gives them legitimacy. Calls for increased regulations and transparency requirements were ignored, and CPCs can now apply for taxpayer money.
Conversely, when you walk into a Title X-funded family planning clinic, you can expect to receive the highest standard of sexual and reproductive healthcare. Established by the federal government in 1970, the Title X (as in, 10) family planning program awards grants to organizations in all 50 states to fund sexual and reproductive healthcare at legitimate medical clinics for those who would not be able to afford it otherwise.
All Title X funded institutions are bound by HIPAA, and the grant comes with strict ethical and legal guidelines all Title X recipients are expected to uphold to provide the highest quality care. Grant requirements state, “services are provided in a manner that is client-centered, culturally and linguistically appropriate, inclusive, and trauma-informed; protects the dignity of the individual; and ensures equitable and quality service delivery consistent with nationally recognized standards of care.” In layman’s terms, this means services are delivered respectfully, accurately and honestly, in line with evidence-based practices.
As someone who has worked within the Title X program for a little over a year, I’ve come to appreciate and depend on those guidelines. Expectations and standards transform positive intentions into positive actions while protecting individuals in the communities served. These standards are especially important in the midst of the changing landscape of reproductive and sexual healthcare. Without them, we see the proliferation of predatory organizations like CPCs.
CPCs are popping up like weeds across the country, and gradually seeking more legitimacy as they grow. In 2010, there were 80 publicly funded clinics that received money from the federal Title X family planning grant in Iowa. Today, there are only 30. In contrast, there are over 65 crisis pregnancy centers in Iowa.
These predatory institutions are not going anywhere anytime soon, and the best way to lessen their impact is to educate yourself and your community. Reproductive Freedom For All, formerly NARAL Pro-Choice, conducted a year-long undercover investigation into CPCs and published extensive accounts of the manipulative tactics and blatant lies the investigators encountered. The Alliance, an organization of state advocates for women’s rights and gender equality, published “Designed to Deceive: A Study of the Crisis Pregnancy Center Industry in Nine States,” a comprehensive dive into the deceptive practices of CPCs.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association have both issued briefs detailing the dangers CPCs pose to public health. The documentary Preconceived combines expert opinions, testimonies from former CPC clients and statements from leaders in the anti-choice movement to show how deeply connected CPCs are to the nationwide anti-abortion movement. CPCs thrive on lack of awareness, so it is essential to spread the word and ensure your community is aware of their presence and familiar with their strategies.
Too often the conversation about CPCs devolves into a moral argument about abortion. While a woman’s right to decide when and if she has a child is paramount, it should not minimize the underlying issues CPCs create: stigma, shame and disinformation. This is not a debate over the morality of abortion. This is a fight to protect women from predatory institutions that base their “care” in lies and deception.
These organizations have taken root in our communities, and they are increasingly supported by our tax dollars. There are many legitimate healthcare alternatives and solutions we can and should be supporting to improve the lives of Iowans. Comprehensive sex education has been shown to decrease risky sexual behaviors. Access to affordable birth control allows individuals to plan their reproductive futures and start their families if and when they are ready. Legitimate healthcare centers like Title X clinics offer client-centered, unbiased care and provide people with factual information to empower them to make the best choice for themselves.
Controlling people by limiting their access to truthful information is not a solution. It is just another problem.
Amy Zine works as the Outreach & Program Specialist for the Family Planning Council of Iowa, a Des Moines-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting sexual and reproductive healthcare for all. Since graduating from the University of Iowa with degrees in biology and medical anthropology, she has worked to increase knowledge of and access to sexual healthcare by providing information and supplies to schools, clinics and community organizations across Iowa.
CPCs in Iowa
The researchers behind the online Crisis Pregnancy Center Map identify 42 CPCs in Iowa, which they define as “nonprofit organizations with a primary aim of keeping women from having an abortion.” They include:
- Agape Pregnancy Center
- Alpha Women’s Center
- Alternatives Pregnancy Center
- Birthright
- Her Health Women’s Center
- Informed Choices Medical Clinics
- InnerVisions HealthCare
- Lc Clinic
- The Pregnancy Center
- Cradle of Hope Pregnancy Resource Center
Other CPCs around the state:
- Bridgehaven Pregnancy Support Center (Cedar Rapids)
- Caring Pregnancy Center (Mason City)
- Clarity Clinic (Dubuque)
- Cornerstone for Life (Storm Lake)
- Gabriel’s Corner (Council Bluffs)
- The Growing Place (Oskaloosa)
- Heartland Pregnancy Center (Ottumwa)
- Hope for Life Pregnancy Center (Charles City)
- Hope Pregnancy Center (Centerville)
- Obria Medical Clinic (Ames)
- The Lighthouse Center of Hope (Iowa Falls)
- Mary’s Choice (Sioux City)
- Pathways of Pella
- Pregnancy Resources (Davenport)
- Women’s Choice Center of the Quad Cities (Bettendorf)
- Her Health Women’s Center (Le Mars)
This article was originally published in Little Village’s November 2024 issue.
