SCOTUS Hears Oral Arguments on CPC Case

OUR STATEMENT

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States is hearing oral arguments in First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, Inc. v. Platkin. Dr. Jamila Perritt, ob/gyn and abortion provider in Washington DC and President & CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health responds:  
  
“Today the Supreme Court is hearing a case about Crisis Pregnancy Centers, the well-known and well-funded fake clinics that shame, coerce, and attempt to deceive pregnant people seeking abortion care, using misinformation, disinformation, and outright lies. As a provider of abortion care, I regularly bear witness to the harm that Crisis Pregnancy Centers cause the patients I care for. 

“These facilities use religious shaming, financial incentives, and ultrasound images often incorrectly dated to mislead the patient into believing they are too far along in pregnancy to have an abortion. They are not sites of support and care but instead have a long history of manipulating and lying to pregnant patients who come to them seeking care and compassion.  

“As a physician, I cannot understate the significant harm that Crisis Pregnancy Centers have had across the country, in restrictive and accessible states for abortion care, alike. Instead of bankrolling these ideologically focused fake-clinics, resources, funding, and protections should be directed to community health centers and programs that support an individual’s ability to make an autonomous decision about whether to carry a pregnancy to term or not, free from shame, stigma and coercion. 

“Unfortunately, due to abortion restrictions and the systematic defunding of the social safety net, many patients are left without clinics that offer comprehensive care and information; Crisis Pregnancy Centers are often the only place in their community they can go when faced with an unplanned pregnancy. But make no mistake; they are not there to provide care or support. Patients deserve access to clinics with evidence-based information, licensed medical providers, and compassion. We hope the Supreme Court will prioritize patients’ needs over Crisis Pregnancy Centers’ deception.”