"Have an Abortion and Ruin Your Life" and Other Dangerous Lies Recorded at a Cleveland Crisis Pregnancy Center

We’ve read the reports and we know the drill. Crisis Pregnancy Centers (“CPCs”) are known for providing women with misleading and deceptive information. Time and time again NARAL [PDF] and others [PDF] have documented these lies. But, it is one thing to read a report, and an entirely different thing to actually hear a counselor blatantly lie to a “client,” shaming her in the process. 

In a secretly recorded video released yesterday by the Crisis Project, pro-choice activist Katie Stack filmed a session she had at Cleveland's Womankind. The session started with “Kate” being asked for information such as her social security number and address. The counselor proceeded to provide blatantly false information about the morning-after pill, saying that it could “really harm” Kate and result in hemorrhaging. 

The pregnancy test is advertised as free, but is it really? While waiting for the results of Kate’s pregnancy test — the same type of urine test that can be performed at home with no medical expertise — the counselor flat out asked Kate: “Why do you have sex?” and told Kate that there has to be meaning behind intercourse. “You don’t have sex to make yourself feel good.” 

I don’t know about you, but the idea of sitting and discussing my personal sexual relationships with an older woman I just met doesn’t sound feel right. Rather than helping a vulnerable woman during a potentially emotional moment, these counselors are judgmental. Sure, no money was exchanged but this encounter comes at a cost. Being forced to listen to this religiously motivated, misguided, and misinformed information is not free. 

This is not an isolated incident. This is in fact the standard operating procedure of CPCs. At a conference titled “Competing with the Abortion Industry,” an anti-abortion activist was recorded saying,“The best call, the best client you ever get is one that thing they’re walking into an abortion clinic. Those are the best clients that could ever walk in your door or call your center, the ones that think you provide abortions.” In fact, these centers do not provide abortions. They intentionally advertise under abortion alternatives specifically to confuse women and try to get them through their doors. 

CPCs also purposefully locate themselves near abortion providers in an attempt to confuse women into walking through their doors. Once inside women are told misleading and deceptive information. For example, women who visited a CPC in Massachusetts were told that having an abortion would result in depression and “post-abortion regret.” 

It is important that women do not accidentally find themselves at CPCs with this agenda. Kate was playing a role and knew what to expect. Now imagine how frightening this conversation would have been for someone who didn’t know where they were and the hidden agenda of their “counselor.” 

If you or someone you know has been harmed by deceptive CPC practices, you can file a complaint with your state's consumer protection agency. 

Visit our Toolkit to learn more or contact us by phone at 1(855)CPC-FACT or email cpcfact@nwlc.org.