A doctor recently implored readers of a Massachusetts to carefully examine the facts about pregnancy centers in response to a scathing op-ed in that called the organizations “unwelcome and deceptive neighbors to Planned Parenthood.”
On January 5, Dr. John Worden, who specializes in Family Medicine and Obstetrics/Gynecology and volunteers at pregnancy centers, wrote a guest column in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette denouncing “an effort to paint [pregnancy centers] as evil purveyors of lies and misinformation.”
“The environment in which we now live is ideologically charged. This unfortunately makes it difficult for those who see PRCs as on the ‘other side of the ideological divide’ as anything but bad…,” he wrote. “Those of us physicians in Massachusetts who work with PRCs know their value and that is why we give our time (also uncompensated) to support them.”
A December column in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, signed by several doctors, accused the state’s pregnancy centers of presenting misleading advertising, offering subpar medical service with unlicensed staff, and providing women with “fear-inducing, shame-filled” experiences.
Dr. Worden, however, painted a vastly different picture, challenging the accusations.
“In the clinics I work with, the ultrasound is performed by a nurse ultra-sonographer who has received rigorous training in performing limited obstetrical ultrasound,” he wrote. “The ultrasound is then reviewed by a physician and the results are given to the patient. Women leave feeling supported and loved and they know that the door is open should they desire to return.”
In their column, the Planned Parenthood advocates also urged readers to support their state’s unusual Anti-Abortion Centers initiative. In June, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health launched an aggressive education campaign against pregnancy centers that seeks to strip the organizations of all credibility.
The public education campaign—which appears on social media platforms, billboards, radio, and other advertising platforms—warns residents about the “dangers and potential harm” of crisis pregnancy centers. Funded through a $1 million investment that the Massachusetts legislature approved as part of its 2023 supplemental budget, the campaign was created by the Department of Public Health (DPH) in collaboration with the Reproductive Equity Now Foundation, a non-profit that seeks to “expand abortion access and reproductive equity for everyone.”
On its website, the Pregnancy Care Alliance of Massachusetts categorically refuted the “unwarranted attacks” and information disseminated by the DPH.
In his column, Dr. Worden said it was unfortunate that PRCs were being portrayed “as evil purveyors of lies and misinformation.” The physician shined a spotlight on all the good centers bring to communities, noting the high level of satisfaction reported by women and families.
“In 2023 alone, Pregnancy Care Alliance centers served over 4,000 women and provided them with over half a million dollars in material assistance. That same year, they saved the communities they serve over $1.5 million by providing no-cost services and support.”
On a national level, the impact of PRCs in communities is also significant. According to Hope for a New Generation, a collaboration of survey data provided by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, Care Net, Heartbeat International, and National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, PRCs provided $358 million worth of material support and vital services to women, men, and children in 2022.
“PRCs are a valuable and very cost-effective (i.e., free) resource in our commonwealth,” wrote Dr. Worden. “Far from being a public health threat, PRCs provide a compassionate, clinically sound environment for pregnancy discussion and support.”
“Let us celebrate their existence and not try to exterminate them simply because their faith-filled staffs and supporters do not align with certain political agendas.”