Investigators: Anti-abortion centers lying

A congressional investigative report on July 17 implicated several federally funded organizations in offering bad information about supposed "dangers" of abortions. The report looks at so-called "pregnancy resource centers" or "crisis pregnancy centers," counseling organizations that often discourage women from having abortions and prompt them toward alternatives such as adoption. Such centers have received a boost in government funding in the past few years. An analysis conducted by the Washington Post in March found that the Department of Health and Human Services poured over $60 million into these centers. According to the report, the "vast majority" of pregnancy centers contacted in the probe "misrepresented the medical consequences of abortion, often grossly exaggerating the risks." To conduct the study, female investigators posed as pregnant 17-year-old girls and contacted 23 pregnancy resource centers that have received federal funding. Twenty of the centers reportedly gave false or misleading information about the health effects of abortion. Eight of the call centers told the investigators that undergoing an abortion can lead to increased risk of breast cancer; seven centers claimed that abortion increases the chances of infertility; and 13 centers told the undercover investigators that abortion commonly causes severe, long-lasting psychological effects. But studies by Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, the National Cancer Institute and the American Psychological Association have found no links between abortion and these "dangers." In response to the investigation, NARAL Pro-Choice America spoke out against government funding of the pregnancy resource centers. "Anyone looking for healthcare information or services deserves full, unbiased, and relevant facts. A woman facing an unintended pregnancy is no different," said President Nancy Keenan in a press statement. Keenan accused the federal government of "putting political propaganda before women's health."