Why Crisis Pregnancy Centers Are Legal but Unethical

Crisis pregnancy centers are organizations that seek to intercept women with unintended pregnancies who might be considering abortion. Their mission is to prevent abortions by persuading women that adoption or parenting is a better option. They strive to give the impression that they are clinical ce...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AMA journal of ethics 2018-03, Vol.20 (1), p.269-277
Main Authors: Bryant, Amy G, Swartz, Jonas J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abortion, Legal
Access to Information
Adoption
Birthing Centers
Deception
Decision Making
Dissent and Disputes
Female
Freedom
Humans
Organizations - ethics
Parturition
Persuasive Communication
Pregnancy
Pregnancy, Unplanned
Pregnancy, Unwanted
Religion and Medicine
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Summary:Crisis pregnancy centers are organizations that seek to intercept women with unintended pregnancies who might be considering abortion. Their mission is to prevent abortions by persuading women that adoption or parenting is a better option. They strive to give the impression that they are clinical centers, offering legitimate medical services and advice, yet they are exempt from regulatory, licensure, and credentialing oversight that apply to health care facilities. Because the religious ideology of these centers' owners and employees takes priority over the health and well-being of the women seeking care at these centers, women do not receive comprehensive, accurate, evidence-based clinical information about all available options. Although crisis pregnancy centers enjoy First Amendment rights protections, their propagation of misinformation should be regarded as an ethical violation that undermines women's health.
ISSN:2376-6980
2376-6980
DOI:10.1001/journalofethics.2018.20.3.pfor1-1803