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Unfortunately, that could lead you to a crisis pregnancy center.
Morgan Johnson
Also known as CPCs, these centers dont actually performabortions.
Its become particularly confusing to differentiate real abortion clinics from crisis pregnancy centers.
Many CPCs have gotten smarter and trickier about using language to appear like real medical clinics.
So if you orsomeone you loveneeds an abortion, how can you figure out where to access one?
They run ads asking if youre pregnant, scared, and need help.
Thats exactly what drew Jasmine Clemons, 35, to a crisis pregnancy center when she was 22.
When she saw a sign on her college campus that said Pregnant and need help?
with a phone number, Clemons thought it was her last option.
The red flags started stacking up quickly once she visited the center.
It looked like a small business office, so I was confused, Clemons tells SELF.
The staffer then used these details to venture to change Clemonss mind.
She took all these answers that I gave her about my personal life and flipped them on me.
It made me feel even more dejected.
I left and cried in my car.
I can still feel the anger I felt that day.
They advertise or set up shop where people are most vulnerable.
Think: next to actualabortionclinics, for instance.
They make abortion sound really dangerous.
It can make you more critical about any false abortion claims you may hear.
Its helpful to be informed about some of themythssurrounding abortion, Shumaker says.
Youll see myths like that often on [CPC] websites, Shumaker says.
While some have licensed medical professionals on staff, most dont.
So these are usually unlicensed people who are not medical professionals but giving out false information.
I wouldnt normally ask that at my doctors office, Flint says.
They wont clearly say if they do or dont perform abortions.
This is a red flag, says Shumaker.
If your conversation leans one way, then we say theyre catfishing you, says Flint.
This can be a tactic to delay someone from getting an abortion until its no longer legal.
Its so cruel to infringe on a patients autonomy, Hasstedt says.
They use words likechoiceandhopebut still wont say if they perform abortions.
[This language] is one of the most ironic things about crisis pregnancy centers, Hasstedt says.
Choice is obviously a hugely important sentiment when discussingabortion.
Seeing something that looks like it’s pro-choice is most likely reassuring in this instance.
All of this nuance can make things pretty confusing when youre looking online to find abortion-providing centers near you.
Doing some extra digging can make all the difference.
To avoid CPCs, give a shot to get a referral.
When looking for an abortion provider, its best to get a referral from someone you trust.
If something doesnt feel right, youre probably right, Shumaker says.
Trust your gut,
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