Fake clinics: Exposed!

There are between 30-60 of these unregulated anti-abortion centers in Massachusetts – which is three to six times the number of licensed abortion clinics in the state. Despite our state’s AG and Governor’s stance against these fake centers, Massachusetts seeks to curb abuses, warns consumers. Governor Healey recently signed off on a $1 million education campaign to warn the public about these fake clinics, and the Attorney General’s office has posted a consumer advisory on its website. Legislation to regulate them has been proposed by State Senator Rausch (S.1114) and local municipalities such as Somerville and Cambridge have scrambled to limit the false advertising that the centers use to draw in vulnerable and unsuspecting people seeking abortion.

Deceptive Tactics and Misinformation

The fake clinics often pose as health centers by offering pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, but there are rarely any licensed medical professionals on hand and no ob-gyn services are offered. In some cases, they use unethical tactics, such as telling patients they have more weeks to decide whether to move forward with their pregnancies than they actually do. They claim to offer information that is often cherry-picked, biased and inaccurate — including the claim that abortions cause breast cancer or mental health issues (both untrue). In some places they even divert patients on their way to real clinics. The irony is this: they claim to offer options, yet the only option is to carry a pregnancy to term.

National Funding and the Erosion of Separation

While anti-abortion centers in Massachusetts do not receive government funds, there are thousands of centers across the country that get millions of dollars in federal taxpayer funding. As one would expect, states with new abortion bans are diverting even more taxpayer money to these fake centers (as can be seen in Florida and Arkansas). Since the anti-abortion centers are often religiously affiliated and funded, this use of public funds is also a further erosion of the all-too-thin separation of church and state. Some of these same states refuse to fund basic healthcare – calling into question their “pro-life” claims.

Statewide Activism: Mother’s Day Standouts

Statewide standouts advance public awareness regarding these issues. On Mother’s Day weekend, the IMC Feminist Action Team organized activists across Massachusetts to hold coordinated stand outs at nine of the anti-abortion Crisis Pregnancy Centers in the state. The Feminist Action Team intentionally decided to hold these events to honor the choice of those who become mothers and of those who choose not to be. The May 13th Expose Fake Clinics Standouts made this point across several locations:

• Greenfield: More than 100 activists from across western Massachusetts gathered to protest a local anti-abortion center and heard from Jenifer McKenna, co-author of Designed to Deceive, and from young people from Generation Ratify Amherst.
• Springfield: More than 20 activists stood before the Clearway Clinic, where inspiring young people led the group in chants and songs.
• Brookline: At Your Options Medical Center, approximately 50 activists heard from Somerville City Councillor Kristen Strezo, instrumental in implementing municipal legislation, and from State Rep. Tommy Vitolo.
• Lowell: Approximately 20 activists stood outside the lovely Victorian building where the Pregnancy Care Center is located.