Abortion, Fake Clinics, Reproductive Justice
Today, the US Supreme Court dealt a serious setback to women and families who deserve medically accurate and unbiased information related to pregnancy and family planning. (This was one of two disgraceful decisions issued today by the Court, and Trump-appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch provided the deciding vote in both of them. Elections matter, folks!)
Maine Family Planning was watching this case closely and is disappointed in the Court’s ruling in NIFLA v. Becerra (read more about the details here). It is past time for fake clinics to be held fully accountable for their lies, deception, and impact on people’s health and timely access to care.
The Court’s decision has to do with a California law, but fake clinics are everywhere. Roughly a dozen of them exist in Maine, and they employ the same tactics as their counterparts in California and the rest of the country: they pay for deceptive advertising and slick websites designed to fool visitors; they perpetuate medically inaccurate myths about abortion care; they hide what services they do and don’t provide; and they manipulate patients in unethical and dangerous ways. They are backed by national anti-abortion organizations with ideological agendas.
Fake clinics are a big problem for independent providers like Maine Family Planning and our patients.
“People seeking information about their options in the event of an unplanned pregnancy need and deserve timely, medically sound information and care,” Maine Family Planning program director Leah Coplon said today. “That’s what they get at our clinics, but fake health centers make it harder for us to do our jobs. For us, patients come first—and so we’ll continue to fight the lies.”
Maine Family Planning will provide opportunities later this summer and fall to expose fake clinics in our state. If this is work you want to be part of, please get in touch!
