The hard left has declared an all-out war against crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Many of their attacks have been political in nature. But some in the pro-abortion crowd have even resorted to violence.
As I explained previously, the left has moved from being pro-choice to going full pro-abortion. This shift has been evident in how aggressively they are seeking to impede or even destroy CPCs.
But the question is: Why?
Progressives claim that most – if not all – crisis pregnancy centers use deceptive means to con mothers out of seeking abortions. This claim does not stand up to scrutiny. None of these folks have proven that most CPCs lie to mothers seeking assistance. So, what is the real motivation behind their attacks on these organizations?
The answer is simple: Crisis pregnancy centers are highly effective at offering alternatives to abortion. Progressives can’t have groups like these cutting into Planned Parenthood’s profits, nor can they stomach the idea of women choosing not to abort their babies. Despite a serious deficit in funding, these organizations have managed to help millions of women and children over the years through the many services they provide.
In 2021, there were about 3,000 pregnancy centers nationwide, with over 30,000 volunteers and 400,000 donors. These organizations provide essential care to women who unexpectedly become pregnant and are looking for help. Their services include pregnancy testing, parenting education, adoption consultations, medical services, and after-abortion recovery support. They also provide much-needed items like car seats, baby formula, diapers, and other products mothers need to take care of their children.
According to the Charlotte Lozier Institute, “Over 5 years from 2016-2020, the result of the dedicated, compassionate care in U.S. PHCs (Pregnancy Help Centers) is an estimated 828,131 Lives Saved, and millions of lives saved since the creation of PHCs over a half-century ago.”
A fact sheet from the institute notes that in 2019, CPCs provided a staggering number of services. This includes:
8 in 10 locations (or 2,132) offer Free Ultrasounds
486,213 Free Ultrasounds Performed
731,884 Free Pregnancy Tests
967,251 Free Consultations with New Clients
810 Locations offer STD Testing
563 Locations offer STD treatment onsite
291,230 Clients Attended Parenting and Prenatal Education Classes
21,698 Clients Attended After-Abortion Support and Recovery Sessions
305 Locations offer Abortion Pill Reversal
2,525 Locations offer Material Assistance such as baby items (including diapers, baby clothing outfits, new car seats and strollers)
120 Medical Mobile Units with Ultrasound (at least) rolling on the road to bring services to women out in the community
14,977 Paid Staff (25 percent of whom are licensed medical professionals)
53,855 Volunteers (12 percent of whom are licensed medical professionals)
10,215 licensed medical professionals involved as pregnancy center workers (paid staff and volunteers combined)
Pregnancy centers have been in existence for over 50 years. Pro-lifers started these groups even before Roe v. Wade and have been helping vulnerable mothers ever since.
Progressives have long decried the existence of these centers with a multitude of false claims. In a piece for Vox, author Anna North noted that some “feared that the centers ‘inappropriately interfered’ in patients’ decisions around their pregnancies,” and were somehow “preventing people from being able to choose or obtain an abortion.”
Of course, there is no explanation regarding how these centers somehow prevented mothers from terminating their pregnancies. As far as I know, there are no reports of CPCs kidnapping and imprisoning pregnant women until they have their children. Persuading a mother to keep her child is not the same as using force; the woman is making a choice, which is what Democrats claimed they wanted in the first place.
The author also pointed out that CPCs have been criticized for using misinformation to trick mothers into having their children. She claimed “research has shown that abortion is linked to breast cancer or mental health problems” and that this “has led to concerns that the centers will trick people into believing they offer abortion, then dissuade them from the procedure with false claims about its dangers.”
Abortion has not been linked to breast cancer, but the intimation that it does not cause trauma is misleading. Several studies have shown that many women who undergo the procedure end up regretting it afterward. But even so, none of these people have demonstrated that most of these organizations function by deceiving women.
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Progressives despise crisis pregnancy centers because they are effective. They have convinced numerous women to keep their children and have prevented an astonishing number of abortions. Because of the volunteers who work at these organizations, these mothers made the conscious decision to keep their children, and the left cannot abide such a reality. This is why they are so vociferous in their vitriol against pro-life groups. With Roe being overturned, these centers will become even more important as more women look for alternatives, so the debate on this issue is only going to intensify.
