In this emotionally tense time after the fall of Roe v. Wade, rumors about pregnancy resource centers have been swirling about. We want to help you sort fact from fiction and provide you with the tools to clarify misunderstandings that you may come across from the media, friends, or family. Here are seven debunked myths about pregnancy resource centers:
Myth #1: You force women to give birth.
Fact: We empower women with evidence-based information to make their own decisions about their pregnancies. We listen to our client’s concerns without judgment and give support, but we never make decisions for our clients or force them to do anything.
Before making such a critical decision about their health, women feel better knowing they did their research. Clients tell us in exit surveys statements that: “I felt so relieved after visiting your center and hearing about all my choices. I felt like I had all the information I needed to make a good decision. I felt like I was not alone in this decision.”
After visiting our center, women know that whatever decision they make, they are welcome to come back to our center. Our support and care for them are unconditional.
Myth #2: You only care about women giving birth; you don’t care about what happens to the woman and child after birth.
Fact: We want our clients to thrive, and we work to build healthy and stable families in our community. This is why we offer resources to support our clients both during and after pregnancy.
The resources we offer include:
- Parenting and other classes
- Community referrals
- Baby Boutiques held several times a year, where clients can receive new and gently used baby supplies free of charge
- BrightCourse online lessons to learn life skills and earn points, which can be exchanged for brand new baby items at our baby “store”
- Mentorship provided by church partners, where mentors journey with the new mom through her baby’s first birthday and beyond if desired
Long after their initial appointments are over, our client advocates continue to check in with clients until their due date, and even post-delivery. If they need assistance after having their baby, we connect them with resources appropriate for their situation.
Myth #3: You are a fake ‘clinic’ and are unlicensed, misleadingly presenting yourselves as medical facilities.
Fact: We are licensed by the State of California as a California Community Clinic. Our medical services are provided by licensed medical professionals in accordance with all applicable laws, and in accordance with pertinent medical standards, under the supervision and direction of a licensed physician.
Myth #4: You offer free ultrasounds and then give people inaccurate or fake results.
Fact: Our clients deserve access to quality health care services that comply with the highest standards of care. The information we provide clients is medically accurate and evidence based, and our clients receive honest answers from our licensed medical professionals. The free ultrasounds are provided under applicable national guidelines set forth by the American Institute in Ultrasound Medicine, the American College of Radiology, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Our clients are given the option to view the overhead monitor as the ultrasound is being performed; this allows them to ascertain that the images shown are authentic. We provide true informed consent to help our clients make their own decisions about their pregnancies.
Myth #5: You get government support and funding.
Fact: We receive no federal and minimal state funding/Medi-Cal reimbursement. Our center is entirely supported by generous donations from individuals in our community. We help women by giving them the documentation and information they need to apply for Medi-Cal, WIC, and other programs that will help them. Any funding that helps women gain access to pregnancy and parenting support services is a good thing. The women and children benefit, and the broader community benefits from healthy and stable families.
Myth #6: You frighten patients with myths about abortion and medical disinformation.
Fact: Women should have unrestricted access to medical information regarding all risks associated with a procedure, no matter what that procedure is. All the information we provide to clients is evidence-based. We are committed to providing our clients who seek information about abortion risks with an accurate interpretation of the data on connections between abortion and health risks. All client material on abortion procedures and abortion risks have been reviewed by our Medical Director and include medical references from mainstream, peer-reviewed journals, and other equivalent sources.
Myth #7: You use deceptive and coercive tactics to trick women into giving birth.
Fact: Our center is committed to caring for clients with absolute compassion and integrity, and we’ve done so for 46 years. The women who come to us seeking support deserve truth and honesty, especially in a vulnerable situation like when facing an unexpected pregnancy. We are strictly committed to providing honest answers to our clients, and this is reflected in Our Commitment to Care and Competence statement. Our past clients have expressed their confidence in us through high approval ratings on exit surveys, and all of our Yelp reviews in almost two years are rated 5 stars.
We hope that this clears up any misconceptions that you may have about what we do. If you have any other questions about the Pregnancy Help Center, we would be happy to answer them. You can contact us by leaving a note through our contact form.
One response to “Fake Clinic? Debunking Myths About What We Do”