There's a great article in the current issue of Ms. about fake pregnancy clinics and how college campuses are referring students to them.When Nina Lopez, 19, a student at Santa Monica College in California, learned that her school routinely referred students concerned about possible pregnancies to a “pregnancy resource center,” or “crisis pregnancy center” (CPC), she was concerned...
Lopez, a member of the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA) on her campus, decided to check out herself whether one particular center recommended by her school was actually offering a full range of choices to young women. So she went for a pregnancy test at the center, which promises “informed pregnancy and sexual health choices” in its brochure and which, according to its website, has medically trained staff and offers medical consultation.
As someone who works with college students, this is scary. I have noted that there are at least 3 of these fake clinics listed on a resource board on my campus. It's something that I've mentioned to a few people, but honestly haven't made it a priority. There have been many other larger fires to attend lately...sadly.
But what is even scarier is the update that Ms. posted:
The Bush administration is planning an 11th-hour rule change that could open a new spigot of government money to “crisis pregnancy centers”—fake, anti-choice clinics whose mission is to convince pregnant women not to have abortions (see Ms., fall 2008).
The proposed regulation, pending action by Bush’s Health and Human Services Secretary, Michael Leavitt, would give health care workers the “right to refuse” to provide women abortion referrals, unbiased counseling and even--depending on interpretation--birth control. Not only would this mean that U.S. women were no longer guaranteed full information from their health care providers, but, according to reproductive rights group SEICUS, it could also open up federal Title X funding—the bread-and-butter of comprehensive family planning clinics such as Planned Parenthood—to CPCs. Currently, Title X funding is reserved for clinics that provide women full, unbiased counseling about their reproductive options.
If made available to CPCs, Title X dollars would join the millions of dollars that CPCs rake in already from federal abstinence-only and marriage-promotion pots. Competition from CPCs has already caused some full-service clinics to scale back, says Bill Smith, vice president for public policy at SEICUS.
HOLY CRAP! Title X monies to go to these fake clinics? When there are women in this country who have a hard enough time finding and getting to clinics for real reproductive health care?
Example 12,398 why if anyone thinks the election was the end of anything is sorely wrong. Bush still has time to screw this country over and over and over.