Would you trust a facility posing as a health-care provider if it wasn’t required to follow medical regulations or protect your privacy?
That’s exactly what crisis pregnancy centers do, misleading pregnant individuals while receiving millions in taxpayer funding.
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In Ohio, where there are more than 17 crisis pregnancy centers, or CPCs, for every abortion clinic, the state legislature funneled millions into these centers that lack medical oversight and accountability. CPCs are not bound by crucial regulations such as HIPAA and do not employ licensed medical professionals. Ohio taxpayers deserve better than to fund organizations that undermine access to honest, professional reproductive health care.
As a clinic escort, I walked patients through lines of angry protesters — people shouting insults, holding signs, and trying to block access. These moments gave me firsthand insight into patients’ challenges when seeking reproductive care. During these intimate conversations, I often shared my own abortion story. Many felt compelled to speak about their own reasons for seeking an abortion. More often than not, patients share their experiences when going to a crisis pregnancy center.
Crisis pregnancy centers are not unique to Ohio; they operate nationwide and often receive public funds. One report found that 12 states allocated over $89 million to these centers over the past decade. As an Ohio resident for over 40 years, and a citizen of this country for even longer, I am deeply concerned that my tax dollars would support an organization that undermines the rights and choices of pregnant individuals.
While some may argue that it’s the government’s prerogative to allocate taxpayer dollars, we elect these officials to reflect what we, as Ohioans, value. That’s how democracy is supposed to work. Fifty-seven percent of Ohioans believe reproductive rights should be protected in our state constitution, indicating widespread support for reproductive rights.
So why are our state government funding centers engaging in purposefully manipulative and deceptive practices that spread misinformation?
Access to medically accurate information is crucial for anyone seeking reproductive care, whether it’s an abortion or birth control. Supporters of CPCs argue that these centers offer compassionate support for pregnant women. But compassion without accurate medical information is dangerous — and, in many cases, outright deceptive.
At a crisis pregnancy center, patients are typically presented with a limited set of birth control options — most of which align with the center’s anti-choice agenda. When discussing birth control options at a crisis pregnancy center, you’re met with three options. If you were sexually assaulted and ask about emergency contraception — you won’t receive it. Or, you will be told that an abortion drug doesn’t exist. In the case of an ectopic pregnancy, which is defined as a pregnancy outside of the uterus, you’ll be told that you can safely deliver a healthy baby, although, in actuality, this pregnancy will kill you if the fetus is not terminated.
In contrast, Planned Parenthood health and surgical centers provide comprehensive reproductive options and are LGBTQ+ friendly. They offer a full range of birth control methods, allowing individuals to make informed choices about their own bodies.
CPCs reject abortion as an option and promote abstinence as the only acceptable form of birth control. This approach not only disregards survivors of sexual assault but also strips individuals of their autonomy over their bodies.
Ohioans deserve access to medically accurate, compassionate, and safe reproductive health care. Yet, state-funded CPCs deny individuals their right to informed decisions, instead promoting a dangerous, anti-choice agenda.
Fortunately, some Democratic lawmakers have introduced House Bill 565, aiming to establish guaranteed standards and ensure quality care for anyone who needs it across Ohio. This bill aims to establish guaranteed standards and ensure quality care for anyone who needs it across Ohio.
As elections approach, it’s more important than ever to support candidates who prioritize reproductive rights and reject the funding of deceptive crisis pregnancy centers.
The stakes are too high to allow misinformation and coercion to continue at the expense of our communities.
Nancy H. Dollard is a former clinic escort and reproductive rights advocate. She can be reached at prochoicenancyinoh@yahoo.com.
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