Anti-abortion pregnancy centers (commonly known as “crisis pregnancy centers” or “pregnancy resource centers”) are the backbone of the anti-abortion movement with close to 3,000 centers nationwide. A billion-dollar industry funded partly by taxpayer dollars, the anti-abortion pregnancy center industry has only gotten stronger post-Roe— yet they still falsely play the victim, often by claiming they are the targets of so-called bullying, harassment and discrimination whenever they are held accountable for their harmful practices.

Anti-abortion pregnancy centers commonly spread disinformation about reproductive health (including through the unproven and unethical practice of experimenting upon people with so-called “abortion pill reversal”) to scare, shame, and guilt people out of having abortions. As many are unlicensed medical facilities, their health, safety, or data privacy practices are questionable, yet anti-abortion pregnancy centers position themselves as a viable solution to abortion clinic closures, often with little oversight.

In recent years, elected officials have sought to call attention to anti-abortion pregnancy centers’ harmful practices. A few examples include: state attorneys general in New York and California suing major anti-abortion pregnancy chains for promoting the unproven theory of “abortion pill reversal,” Delaware passing a bill requiring anti-abortion pregnancy centers to provide notice if they are unlicensed, or Massachusetts launching a public education campaign warning constituents about anti-abortion pregnancy centers’ deceptive practices. These well-intentioned efforts to support the dissemination of accurate information have all been challenged by anti-abortion legal organizations; meanwhile, the anti-abortion pregnancy center industry continues to build power by alleging they are the victims of government bullying, harassment, and discrimination.

These claims aren’t just a fundraising ploy, either— they are the basis of a recently introduced federal bill called the Let Pregnancy Centers Serve Act that would “prohibit discrimination against entities that do not participate in abortion.” Under this bill, federal, state, and local governments, as well as other entities receiving federal funding, cannot require anti-abortion pregnancy centers to provide abortions, refer for abortions, counsel in favor of abortions, or “provide information about obtaining an abortion or abortion-inducing drug.” While anti-abortion pregnancy centers aren’t presently required to do any of these things, this bill explicitly bans “discriminat[ing] against, penaliz[ing], or retaliat[ing] against an entity because the entity offers life-affirming support and resources,” which could be invoked more broadly to apply to actions like those taken by elected officials in the examples above, making calls for accountability and transparency that much more difficult.

It’s actions by abortion opponents like these that require us to be creative and multifaceted in our approach to combating these harmful centers. Whether it’s through familiarizing yourself with where the anti-abortion pregnancy centers are in your community, organizing an action at your local anti-abortion pregnancy center, or leaving these centers a bad review online, we all can all play a role in minimizing the harm these centers perpetuate.

Find out where anti-abortion pregnancy centers are near you: https://reproaction.org/database/
Learn how to organize an action countering anti-abortion pregnancy centers: https://reproaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Countering-Anti-Abortion-Pregnancy-Centers-Activism-Toolkit.pdf