Public Funds for Crisis Pregnancy Centers

The Kaiser Family Foundation's Daily Women's Health Policy Report and the San Francisco Chronicle report today on public funding used to dissuade pregnant women from seeking an abortion. The San Francisco Chronicle cites that there are at least 8 states, including Pennsylvania, that "use public funds to subsidize crisis pregnancy centers, Christian homes for unwed mothers and other programs explicity designed to steer women away from abortion."

Pennsylvania state Rep. Tom Tangretti, an anti-choice Democrat, was quoted:

I have heard many pro-choice people say, 'There ought to be fewer abortions.' (Funding) this is one way we can do that. . . I just can't imagine why anyone would be afraid of it.

The SF Chronicle shares with us that "Crisis pregnancy centers have received tens of millions of dollars over the last six years from the federal government, mostly to support abstinence education."

Gaining credibility with the federal government's stamp of approval, crisis pregnancy centers are now the 'experts' in preventing teen pregnancy as well as preventing abortion. No degree in public health or scientific research needed - all you need is the ability to lie and ignore teens' desperation for getting information about sex (and how to be safe when they choose to have it).

Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, the national standard in "sex education", censor educators from answering students' questions about sex and sexuality and often present inaccurate medical information so that youth cannot make informed decisions to exercise their reproductive freedom. Like in their abstinence-only programs, crisis pregnancy centers present inaccurate information - some inaccurately link abortion to breast cancer or exaggerate the health risks associated with abortion.

No need to be afraid, eh?

Julie in Philly