This past April, Google removed ads for numerous Crisis Pregnancy Centers, because they were
misrepresenting their services and intentionally misleading pregnant woman who were seeking
information about abortions.
We’re aware of the fact that abortion is a controversial issue with passionate people
on both sides and a lot of ethically grey areas that even the most reasonable person
would have a hard time sussing out.
But most people can agree that there are ethical and unethical ways to fight for a cause you
believe in.
The accusation being made now by pro-choice groups, and in the past by members of congress
and New York State’s Attorney General, is that Crisis Pregnancy Centers are using unethical
practices to trick pregnant woman into hearing their anti-abortion rhetoric.
So, what are Crisis Pregnancy Centers and why are they coming under such harsh criticism?
Well, Crisis Pregnancy Centers are establishments set up by Pro-Life organizations that offer
counseling and support to pregnant women - which on its face, sounds relatively harmless.
But according to information uncovered by numerous organizations, in practice, the support
these centers offer is exclusively designed to mislead and discourage pregnant woman from
considering abortion as an option.
A lot of these centers are funded by Heartbeat International, who, according to their website,
“want[s] to make abortion unwanted today and unthinkable for future generations”.
In search of that goal, some of the facilities they and other groups fund, are reportedly
spreading misinformation about the physical and emotional effects of terminating a pregnancy.
They’re also keeping women from finding out about all of their options, and showing
them inaccurate or misleading films or pictures in order to shock or frighten them out of
seeking those options.
Some are even tricking women into delaying their decision on the issue, because in most
states - the longer you wait, the harder it is to legally terminate your pregnancy.
These facilities also look like medical offices and are staffed with people who look like
medical professionals, even though most are not trained or licensed to practice medicine.
Their advertising also looks like ads for facilities that offer a full range of care,
including abortions, but as we said, they do not offer abortions and are intentionally
misrepresenting their services.
If you’d like more information on this topic, please check out the links below.
And if you want more coverage of similar issues, please check out our Social
Issues playlist.
We release five videos a week, subscribe to the channel to get all of those.