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For those seeking medical expertise about all things gestation-related, the American Pregnancy Association’s website seems to be a one-stop shop.
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The group is cited as a source by many respected medical institutions.
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The New York Times, The Washington Post and CNN have included its advice in articles.
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services links to the American Pregnancy Association as a resource for those seeking information about pregnancy tests.
So comprehensive and widely known are the organization’s offerings that it’s easy to overlook the section about unplanned pregnancies, where the tone is decidedly different – fewer facts, more feelings. “If you’re researching your options, you probably need to talk,” the page says, offering a hotline number. “There will be no judgment, no guilt, only a friendly caring person ready to listen and talk.”
Actual information about abortion is hard to find, and what the site does provide is sandwiched between warnings. “Consider the impact the procedure may have on your future,” the site advises.
Here’s another thing it doesn’t mention: The group is the brainchild of a Texas-based anti-abortion activist named Brad Imler, and it’s rife with medically inaccurate information – on abortion and other reproductive health topics.
In the coming years, much of the battle over reproductive rights may play out online as states move to criminalize the termination of a pregnancy.
“People are going to go online to look for the information,” said Silvia Guendelman, a University of California-Berkeley reproductive health scholar. “This is a pro-life movement that is trying to systematically disinform people.”
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