N.J. Planned Parenthood Tries to Close Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Claiming that Crisis Pregnancy Centers use "deceptive advertising" opponents propose legislation that would shut them down.

TRENTON, NJ (LifeSiteNews) - Planned Parenthood Affiliates of New Jersey continued their attack on Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPC) last week when it exhorted its supporters to back the Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women's Services Act (SDAWS).

That act that calls for the Federal Trade Commission to enforce truth-in-advertising standards so as to make it illegal for CPCs to present themselves in such a way as to lead individuals into believing that they perform abortions.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney and 11 other sponsors introduced SDAWS to the NJ House of Representatives in May 2007. On April 1, Sen. Robert Menendez introduced the Senate companion to SDAWS.

Maloney claims that CPCs "have adopted the brazen tactic of advertising and presenting themselves as legitimate family planning centers in order to lure women seeking abortion information and talk them out of getting an abortion."

"Although they may claim to provide a range of services, CPCs are not legitimate health facilities and do not offer comprehensive health services and non-biased, medically accurate information about all pregnancy options," said Michele Jaker, Executive Director of PPANJ.

CPC opponents typically claim that CPCs present false information regarding the increase of breast cancer, fertility problems, and psychological problems among women who have had abortions.

Randall K. O'Bannon, Ph.D., National Right to Life Director of Education and Research, systematically debunked the standard attacks on CPCs in his two-part article "Pro-Abortionists Crank Up Campaign to Mislead Public"

"As the number of CPCs has grown, as some centers have begun to receive modest federal funding, and as the Movement has grown far more effective in getting the truth about abortion's risks and realities into the hands of pregnant women, the attack has intensified," explained O'Bannon.

CPC critics cite the National Cancer Institute (NCI) 2003 Conference as an example of an authoritative denial of the abortion-breast cancer link.

"But the report never explains why or how the same panel could still declare that a first full-term pregnancy would have a 'protective effect' against possible future breast cancer. Or why the NCI's own journal published a study in 1994 showing women having abortions had a 50% increased risk of having breast cancer before age 45. Or why 13 out of 17 studies in the U.S. showed more breast cancer among women having abortions," writes O'Bannon.

In light of CPC opponents' selective citations denying the increased fertility problems among women who have had abortions, O'Bannon details a slew of studies confirming the connection.

For instance, "a 1993 study from the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health showing more than doubled risk of future infertility among aborting women." Further, a study from the April 2005 British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology "showed that women who have had abortions were at higher risk of very preterm delivery in subsequent pregnancies than women with no such history."

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Contrary to the American Psychological Association's denial of "Post-Abortion Syndrome," O'Bannon said that he found scholarly evidence for the psychologically harmful effects of abortion.

A self-professed "pro-choice" New Zealand researcher David Fergusson found after a 2006 study that "those having an abortion had elevated rates of subsequent mental health problems including depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviors and substance abuse disorders."

In response to on-going attacks on CPCs, Life Decisions International (LDI) has launched Project Fight Back!, an organized effort to present to Congress and other lawmakers the truth about CPCs' helpful services.

"It is past the time when we educate our own supporters about pregnancy help centers. Now is the time when we must fight back," said LDI Chairman Thomas C. Strobhar.

LDI asks for completely honest accounts of positive experiences at CPCs and negative experiences at Planned Parenthood facilities.

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