Crisis Pregnancy Centers: What You Need to Know

Crisis pregnancy centers (also called CPCs or "fake clinics") are clinics or mobile vans that look like real health centers, but they're run by anti-abortion activists who have a shady, harmful agenda: to scare, shame, or pressure you out of getting an abortion, and to tell lies about abortion, birth control, and sexual health.

Understanding Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Crisis pregnancy centers usually try really hard to seem like a normal doctor’s office. They might have ultrasound machines, staff in white coats, medical-sounding names, and professional websites. They also often post signs near or are located very close to real health centers like Planned Parenthood. They do all of this to try to trick you into coming to CPC instead, so they can pressure you into making certain decisions about sex and pregnancy.

Crisis pregnancy centers usually advertise free pregnancy tests and pregnancy counseling, and some may claim they have other services like STD testing — but these centers don’t actually provide most kinds of health care, and the information they give isn’t always accurate or trustworthy. For example, they may say your pregnancy is earlier or later than it really is, to confuse you about how much time you have to get an abortion if you want one.

Crisis pregnancy centers don’t provide abortion or offer a full range of health care, and they won’t give you honest facts about sexual health and your pregnancy options — their goal is to spread misinformation and propaganda. Most crisis pregnancy centers aren’t legitimate medical clinics, so they don’t have to follow HIPAA and keep your information private, like most real health care providers do. These crisis pregnancy centers could even give your information to other anti-abortion organizations or use it to harass you. This could be especially concerning if you live in a state with anti-abortion laws.

Identifying a Crisis Pregnancy Center

There are a LOT of these CPCs in the U.S. Websites like exposefakeclinics.com, crisispregnancycentermap.com, and The Fake Clinic Database can help you figure out which clinics in your area are crisis pregnancy centers. You can also check out this map to find CPCs in your area.

Here are some signs that a clinic might be a crisis pregnancy center:

• It’s listed online or on map apps as a pregnancy resource center, pregnancy help center, pregnancy care center, women’s resource center, or abortion alternatives.
• They advertise free pregnancy tests, abortion counseling, pre-abortion screenings, abortion education, post-abortion care, or after-abortion help — but they refuse to help you get an abortion.
• They advertise “abortion pill reversal” or say you can “reverse” an abortion. (This isn’t true — you can’t reverse an abortion.)
• They say abortion is unsafe, or that it leads to cancer, infertility, or mental health problems. (This isn’t true — abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. ​The rate of major complications is less than 1%, and it's safer than getting your wisdom teeth taken out. Abortion also doesn’t increase your risk for cancer, infertility, or mental health problems.)
• They say negative things about abortion, birth control, condoms, or sex.
• They don’t provide condoms or other effective birth control methods like the pill, patch, ring, shot, IUD, or implant — if they do offer birth control services, it’s usually only the fertility awareness method.
• They try to pressure you into continuing a pregnancy, or placing your future baby for adoption.
• They try to talk about religion even when you don't want to.
• They say judgmental things about sex before marriage, single parenting, LGBTQ+ people, or people of color.
• They offer items like clothes, diapers, and bottles, but you have to go to lectures and workshops from the CPC to “earn” them.

One of the easiest ways to find out if a clinic is a CPC is to look at their website for some of the warning signs listed above. You can also call and ask about their services — if they say they don’t provide abortion or effective birth control methods like condoms or the pill, and they won’t help you find a clinic that does, it’s probably not a real health center. If they’re not clear about their services or pressure you to come to the clinic in person, that’s also a huge red flag. Trust your gut: if something seems fishy, it probably is. And if you ever feel uncomfortable at a clinic, you have the right to leave at any time.

Real Health Centers vs. Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Real health centers are open and upfront about their services. They’ll help you get the care you need, and they don’t pressure you to make certain decisions about sex, birth control, or pregnancy. Real health centers give you honest facts about all of your options — without scare tactics, shame, or judgement — so you can decide for yourself. Looking for a trustworthy abortion clinic or health center in your area? Call your local Planned Parenthood, or visit AbortionFinder.org.

Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC) Map Data

The Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC) Map identifies all of the brick-and-mortar CPCs operating in the United States (U.S.). CPCs are also called "anti-abortion centers," "fake clinics," and “pregnancy resource centers,” etc. CPCs are religious non-profit organizations that primarily aim to deter people from having abortions. CPCs also oppose contraception and comprehensive sex education. CPCs target people seeking reproductive healthcare.

Although many centers offer limited health services, they are not medical clinics, frequently provide inaccurate health information, and do not adhere to medical or ethical practice standards. Public health and medical organizations warn that CPCs pose risk to individual, family, and public health.

The CPC Map project is led by Drs. Andrea Swartzendruber and Danielle Lambert, researchers in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department in the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia. Learn about CPC Map data sources and methodologies. Read the CPC Map Team’s scientific research publications.