Friend,
California has long been a bastion of defense for reproductive freedom.
But, our state is also home to 180 crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) -- fake
medical clinics set up by far-right groups to look like abortion providers
but with the express goal of stopping pregnant people from having
abortions or getting contraception.(1)
CPCs have a long track record of lying to patients about medical facts,
but a new letter released by a watchdog group highlights their potential
lack of adequate patient privacy protections as well.(2) Anyone dealing
with sensitive patient data, like your doctor, must follow strict patient
privacy information. But, because CPCs provide care for free, they are not
technically governed by patient privacy laws.
Medical privacy has always been a serious issue. And today, when so many
states are passing progressively harsher laws around abortion access, the
need to protect patient privacy is more important than ever. State
Attorney General Rob Bonta has already taken action to alert Californians
and sue the companies over their deceptive practices, and now we have an
opportunity to ask him to protect people who have already visited these
centers.
[ [link removed] ]Will you sign our petition calling AG Bonta to open a new
investigation??
[ [link removed] ]SIGN ON
CPCs claim that they comply with health data privacy requirements laid out
under HIPAA, but their long history of misleading and flat-out lying to
pregnant people leaves copious room for doubt.(3) A 2015 NARAL research
report conducted in California showed that CPCs in our state regularly
pedal lies about abortion–including sharing debunked information about the
link between abortion and breast cancer, misleading information about
abortion risks, and much more.(4) CPCs are rarely staffed by medical
professionals, and many shame and psychologically manipulate pregnant
people into continuing their pregnancies.(5)
In California, less than two-thirds of counties have an abortion clinic,
but 80% have a CPC.(6) In rural areas of the state, CPCs outnumber
abortion providers 11 to 2.(7) As abortion access wanes around the
country, more and more pregnant people look to California for the care
they need. For patients coming from states with abortion bans and
criminalization laws on the books, the lack of patient privacy guarantee
provided by CPCs is particularly terrifying.
For too long, CPCs have been using religious liberty under the First
Amendment to peddle abortion lies. Even in blue states like California,
they have been steadily expanding their reach, spreading lies about
abortion and contraception. Fortunately, AG Bonta and other Democratic
leaders nationwide are finding creative new ways to challenge the
expansion of CPCs and protect pregnant people from lies.(8)
Every pregnant person deserves access to accurate medical information in a
safe and caring environment staffed by medical professionals. Every
patient also deserves a full guarantee of privacy when they seek
reproductive care.
[ [link removed] ]By demanding AG Bonta investigate this critical issue today, we can
ensure that CPCs in California are held to a strict privacy standard. Sign
today!
Yours in the fight for reproductive rights!
–Irene, Annie, Angela, Isidra, Mario, Marvin, Alyssa, Jen, and Lindsay
(the Courage team)
[ [link removed] ]SUPPORT OUR WORK
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Courage California (formerly Courage Campaign) makes sure our democracy works for ALL of us by fighting corruption in California politics. We believe the solution lies in exposing and solving systemic problems through strategic organizing, enhancing coordination between progressive organizations, and mobilizing civic engagement from our communities, particularly voters of color, young voters, and self-identified progressives.
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