Pregnancy resource centers: misinformation central

This is nothing new, but a recent investigation requested by Representative Waxman has provided more evidence that government-funded pregnancy resource centers (translate: counseling centers that try to discourage women from getting abortions) are misinforming to the women they counsel. The methodology of the investigators was simple:

In response to Rep. Waxman's request, the Special Investigation Division identified the 25 pregnancy resource centers that have received grants through the Compassion Capital Fund. For this report, female investigators telephoned the 25 pregnancy resource centers that have received grants from the Compassion Capital Fund, posing as a 17-year-old trying to decide whether to have an abortion, and requesting information and advice. The caller stated that she was pregnant and thought she wanted an abortion.

The investigators compared the centers' statements with accepted medical knowledge, and the findings were clear:

In total, 87% of the centers reached (20 of 23 centers) provided false or misleading information to the callers. The three major areas of misinformation involved (1) the purported relationship between abortion and breast cancer; (2) the purported relationship between abortion and infertility; and (3) the purported relationship between abortion and mental illness.

Suffice to say that getting an abortion does not increase a woman's risk of breast cancer, does not increase her risk of infertility (especially if it is her first pregnancy and abortion, as the investigators in this report told every center they called), and does not cause mental illness.

While I may not agree with the goals of these centers, the least they could do is tell women the truth.

A summary of the report is here, and the full report is here (PDF).

Categories:

• politics
• abortion