The Frightening Truth About Crisis Pregnancy Centers

April 15, 2008 · Filed Under Reproductive Rights ·

Sadly, very few women know what the term “crisis pregnancy center” really means and that is exactly what crisis pregnancy centers prey upon.

There is a personal story from Allyson Kirk published on AlterNet of a woman who got caught in the trap of these centers, thinking it was a regular reproductive rights clinic, as these centers have tried their best to look like to lure women in and intimidate them into carrying their pregnancies to term.

After calling the National Abortion Federation Hotline seeking an abortion, she got a number for a health care clinic, but a crisis pregnancy center located themselves a mere two doors down from the clinic, where the woman ended up walking into thinking it was the clinic she was in search for. What these people put her through is sick, twisted and no woman should have to be put through this when making a personal decision regarding her body.

“She asked me about my religious beliefs. I was immediately defensive at this point. I asked her why this was a relevant question to ask in a medical facility. “Because I can’t properly counsel you on the issue of abortion unless I know your moral standing,” she said. I decided that this was not the kind of place I felt comfortable seeking medical care so I asked her to complete the free pregnancy test and then I would be on my way. I gave her a urine sample and she agreed to run the test, but only if I watched an educational video while the results were processing.”

First of all, the woman felt the need to ask about the religious beliefs of the patient just to feel around and see if she had to intimidate her to stay there so she could “counsel” (ie: push her moral standing onto her patient and make her believe what she wanted) and the woman of this clinic, after seeing the hesitancy, started bartering with the woman over getting a pregnancy test done at their clinic. “You can have your pregnancy test if you watch this video.” That is not the way to treat the women who walk into your clinic, but they knew that this woman was hesitant and was starting to realize what was going on and knew that she should not be there, so I guess bartering is the only other viable option since these people are completely unprofessional and exist only to terminate a woman’s right to choose.

“The video I was forced to watch made false claims including: doctors who provide abortions graduate at the bottom of their classes and can’t get real jobs; abortion is dangerous and often results in serious injury, even death, to women, and abortion causes severe psychological and emotional damage to women. The woman on the video said many women who have abortions have nightmares of babies crying and have guilt about their decision so intense that it sends them into depression.

The second portion of the video showed an illustrated enactment of a surgical abortion procedure. A picture of a uterus with a fully formed fetus inside filled the TV screen as illustrated metal instruments appeared. The instruments were shown probing inside the uterus and dismembering the fetus. Then a suction device entered the screen, pulling the fetus out of the illustrated uterus for disposal.”

These centers should not be able to give women completely fabricated information. “Abortion providers can’t get real jobs?” Sorry, I believe that abortion providers have one of the most important jobs–Giving a woman power over her own body and giving her the respect to know that she can make her own decision. I would think that the people who “can’t get real jobs” would be the ones who make a living off of scaring the hell out of women who walk into their trumped up office. I would think that these people can only get jobs in which they must lie to scared and impressionable women in order to push their personal beliefs onto other people–whether they’re willing to listen or not because if they don’t, they’ll just barter with them–”We’ll let you out of this room as long as you agree to pray with us.” This makes me sick.

I am willing to bet that their claim that abortion results in serious injury and even death are taken from statistics published before the early 70’s, since they would be right–Back alley and illegal abortions that women are going to have to resort back to if abortion is ever outlawed, do cause serious injury and in a lot of cases, even death.

That, my friends, is why the option of a safe and legal abortion is a hell of a lot better than an abortion done with a wire coat hanger either in your home or in unsanitary surroundings because I, for one, would rather an already living and breathing woman be able to continue with her life before I would put the life of a cluster of cells before her.

Tags: anti-choice, crisis pregnancy centers

Crisis Pregnancy Centers Having to Tell People They Lie? Hells Yes!

March 15, 2008 · Filed Under Reproductive Rights ·

Crisis pregnancy centers really strike a chord in me that makes me sometimes rant to the boyfriend about how unfair it is that they are even able to “practice” pregnancy “options” with the women that go to them for help out of desperation and whom are bullied by so-called professionals to make the decision that they want women to make while completely disregarding the feelings of women seeking help.

I recently came to find out that Maryland feels the same way!

The Maryland state senate is considering a bill requiring Crisis Pregnancy Centers to issue a disclaimer stating that the information they give to women in search of options and counseling, is not accurate. The same bill is being considered in New York as well as in West Virginia. Examples of misinformation that crisis pregnancy centers have been giving out are:

Abortions lead to breast cancer.
Abortions lead to infertility.
Abortions lead to mental illness.

All of the above are completely untrue and should not be given to women seeking abortion services as facts when they are simply taking advantage of emotional women and brainwashing them by throwing around personal morals that are fabricated as far as medical accuracy goes.

87% of the clinics studied in a July 2006 came out to misinterpret and grossly exaggerate medical facts.

I do not believe that crisis pregnancy centers like this should not be able to practice. They should not be able to brainwash desperate women and guilt them into believing that abortion is not the answer to their unwanted pregnancy when an abortion is what they are seeking. Not to mention, Planned Parenthood clinics who support women and support the informed choices that women are able to make on their own–Imagine that!

I was recently watching the fourth season of The L Word, which I am absolutely addicted to and love unconditionally, and in the very first episode of the fourth season, it shows exactly what happens at these so-called women’s clinics. To watch the episode, which I highly suggest, you can by going here. In fact, I think that everyone should watch The L Word, so here is a link to all five seasons which you can watch online. (clickclickclick)

I really hope that Maryland gets this bill passed, the truth about these clinics must come out and I could not support Maryland enough in this bill.

Tags: anti-abortion extremism, anti-choice, crisis pregnancy centers, television, The L Word