How to Fight Back Against Fake Clinics

ESTABLISHING “TRUTH IN ADVERTISING” POLICIES

Are Crisis Pregnancy Centers misleading women on your campus?

If you have found referrals in the Campus Health Center or advertisements in campus outlets for CPCs, take action to demand “Truth in Advertising” to help prevent women from being deceived.

The Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics has several “Truth in Advertising” strategies:

• Propose that your Campus Health Center stop referring to CPCs. If they continue to do so, request placement of a disclaimer explaining that CPCs are limited-service facilities. Click here for a model "Truth in Advertising" CPC Policy for your Health Center.
• Ask that any newspaper or other outlet on campus that permits advertisements from CPCs stop accepting those ads. If they continue, request that the ad be accompanied by a disclaimer that identifies CPCs as limited-service facilities. Click here for a model "Truth in Advertising" CPC Policy for your campus newspaper or media outlet.
• Propose and pass a Student Government Resolution to urge the newspaper, health center, and other outlets to ban CPCs or include a disclaimer about the services they provide. Click here for a model "Truth in Advertising" resolution for your Student Government.

Model “Truth in Advertising” CPC Policy for Campus Health Centers

Limited-Service Crisis Pregnancy Centers often pose as comprehensive women’s health clinics, but they are not usually staffed by medical professionals and they do not provide or refer for abortion or comprehensive birth control services.  A Congressional investigation found that approximately 87% of Crisis Pregnancy Centers provide false or misleading information about the health effects associated with abortion, commonly telling women that abortion is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, infertility and mental illness, including suicide.  All of these connections have been proven false by numerous reputable medical studies.

We, the [name of group], believe that women on our campus deserve medically accurate, comprehensive and unbiased information about birth control and abortion. 

Therefore, we believe our Campus Health Center should not refer students seeking information about their pregnancy options to limited-service Crisis Pregnancy Centers. 

In the event that referrals are made to limited-service Crisis Pregnancy Centers, we ask that our Campus Health Center provide a disclaimer clearly identifying limited-service Crisis Pregnancy Centers as facilities that do not provide abortion or contraceptive services or referrals. Please see our proposed disclaimer below:

Please Note: This facility is a limited-service Crisis Pregnancy Center that does not provide abortion and/or contraceptive services or referrals. The Center opposes abortion as an option and provides information and/or services on adoption.

Model “Truth in Advertising” CPC Policy for Campus Newspapers

Limited-Service Crisis Pregnancy Centers often pose as comprehensive women’s health clinics, but they are not usually staffed by medical professionals and they do not provide or refer for abortion or comprehensive birth control services.  A Congressional investigation found that approximately 87% of Crisis Pregnancy Centers provide false or misleading information about the health effects associated with abortion, commonly telling women that abortion is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, infertility and mental illness, including suicide.  All of these connections have been proven false by numerous reputable medical studies.

Furthermore, limited-service Crisis Pregnancy Centers often target college campus newspapers with deceptive advertisements offering “free pregnancy tests” and “options counseling”.

We, the [name of group], believe that women on our campus deserve medically accurate, comprehensive and unbiased information about birth control and abortion. 

Therefore, we believe our campus newspaper should not accept advertisements for limited-service Crisis Pregnancy Centers. 

In the event that advertisements for limited-service Crisis Pregnancy Centers are accepted, we ask that our campus newspaper require a disclaimer clearly identifying limited-service Crisis Pregnancy Centers as facilities that do not provide abortion or birth control services or referrals. Please see our proposed disclaimer below:

Please Note: This facility is a limited-service Crisis Pregnancy Center that does not provide abortion and/or contraceptive services or referrals. The Center opposes abortion as an option and provides information and/or services on adoption.

Model “Truth in Advertising” Resolution Regarding Crisis Pregnancy Center Advertising and Referrals on Campus

1. Whereas, the Student Government/[name of entity passing the resolution] advocates for the safety and well-being of the student body and;

2. Whereas, women on our campus and in our community deserve neutral, comprehensive and accurate medical information about abortion and birth control and;

3. Whereas, Crisis Pregnancy Centers’ use deceptive names, locate near comprehensive health clinics, and purport to provide pregnancy-related services but do not actually provide abortions or birth control services or referrals, and;

4. Whereas, a Congressional investigation found that 87% of Crisis Pregnancy Centers provide false or misleading information about the health risks associated with abortion, most commonly stating that abortion is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, infertility and mental illness, including suicide and;

5. Whereas, a study conducted by the Feminist Majority Foundation found that 48% of campus health centers refer students to limited-service Crisis Pregnancy Centers that are not usually staffed by medical professionals and that may provide false information about birth control and abortion;

6. Whereas, Crisis Pregnancy Centers target college campuses with their deceptive advertisements, often offering “free pregnancy tests” and “options counseling” and;

7. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Student Government/[name of entity passing resolution] recommends that our campus newspaper require that a disclaimer clearly identifying limited-service Crisis Pregnancy Centers as facilities that do not provide abortion or birth control services or referrals be included on all advertisements for such facilities, and;

8. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Student Government/[name of entity passing the resolution] recommends that our campus health center, if it refers students to Crisis Pregnancy Centers, provide a disclaimer clearly identifying limited-service Crisis Pregnancy Centers as facilities that do not provide abortion or birth control services or referrals.