CPCs are fake women’s health centers that exist mainly to keep pregnant people from accessing abortion services. They disguise themselves as women’s health care facilities, but offer only limited and often medically inaccurate services. They often bill themselves as “pregnancy resource centers” and provide some services related to pregnancy and parenting, but are primarily focused on talking people out of getting an abortion. Right now, these facilities get millions of your tax dollars.

Despite how they advertise themselves, fake women’s health centers are not medical clinics or comprehensive pregnancy resource centers and do not promote the full range of reproductive health care options. They intentionally spread misinformation about abortion and fetal development to scare pregnant people out of having abortions.

See a list of fake clinics in Louisiana

If you or someone you know visited one of these fake clinics, we want to hear about your experience. Contact us here

Read Funding Lies: Louisiana's Alternatives to Abortion Initiative Report 2022. This report outlines the development and public funding of Louisiana’s Alternatives to Abortion Initiative, administered by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), which diverts public dollars away from families in need and into this program.

DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING

Fake women’s health centers intentionally advertise themselves as real medical facilities to lure unsuspecting pregnant people inside, calling themselves “pregnancy resource centers” or “women’s health clinics.” 

LOCATED VERY CLOSE TO REAL ABORTION CLINICS.

Fake women’s health centers are often located near real abortion clinics, a tactic designed to confuse patients into entering the wrong location.  

MEDICALLY INACCURATE LIES

Medically inaccurate lies about abortion, birth control and fetal development. Fake women’s health centers are notorious for spreading inaccurate information about abortion, such as the lie that abortion leads to an increased risk of breast cancer (it does not) and causes emotional or psychological distress and infertility. They peddle misinformation about contraception to discourage people from taking steps to prevent unintended pregnancy. They also promote so-called "abortion reversal" protocol which is not supported by major medical associations, has not been evaluated by the FDA and can result in hemorrhage and poses safety concerns.¹ 

SHADY SONOGRAMS

In 2010 Louisiana passed a law that requires pregnant people seeking abortion to obtain a sonogram 24 hours beforehand by the same doctor who will perform their abortion. Fake women’s health centers often offer free sonograms as a way to lure pregnant people in the door, knowing that a sonogram is required but that most people are unaware of the law. These sonograms are often performed by volunteers and not licensed sonographers or health care providers.

DELAY TACTICS

Fake women’s health centers take advantage of the lack of public knowledge about recent restrictions on abortion and use manipulative tactics to extend their visitors’ pregnancies to the point where abortion is difficult, if not impossible, to access in Louisiana. Center volunteers convince visitors to delay or postpone their appointments, give fake due dates or overstate the possibility of miscarriage to convince them not to have an abortion.

RELIGIOUSLY AFFILIATED

Fake women’s health centers are often religiously affiliated and make prayer or proselytization a key part of their services, despite the fact that many centers receive federal and state funding and are thus prohibited from including religion as part of service provision.

TAXPAYER FUNDED

In funneling millions of your tax dollars to fake women’s health centers, the state of Louisiana is directly funding deception and lies. The Louisiana Legislature has been siphoning money away from financial assistance and public health programs to fund fake women’s health centers. Between 2011 - 2020 Louisiana's Department of Children and Family Services has paid  $11.3 million to crisis pregnancy centers through the Alternatives to Abortion Initiative.

NO OVERSIGHT

The Louisiana Legislature allows fake women’s health centers to operate with little to no oversight. While the Legislature regulates licensed abortion clinics out of existence, fake women’s health centers are unlicensed, and lawmakers have no mechanism to hold them accountable.

¹ According to a study published in January 2020 in the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s “Green Journal”