After the Supreme Court’s decision that overturned Roe v. Wade this June, abortion access has remained at the forefront of both local community discourse and national topical concern, sparkling widespread controversy among Rhode Island residents.
Whereas currently there are two providers who offer surgical abortion services in the state, The Womxn Project, an activist organization that advocates for reproductive justice, has reported 11 “Crisis Pregnancy Centers”. These centers allegedly falsely pose as medical clinics offering abortions to pressure people into carrying their pregnancies to term, said Jocelyn Foye, executive director of The Womxn Project.
“They prey on vulnerable people, and we all are when we find out we’re pregnant,” Foye said.
Foye said these centers are pushing people past the legal limit of when they can get an abortion, performing misleading medical exams and using anti-abortion guilt tactics when treating patients.
With CPCs located throughout the state of Rhode Island, organizations like The Womxn Project are working to counter the presence and alleged harmful practices of these clinics.
“This struggle is not new,” Foye said. “This fight has been something that’s been around for a while, and with … the Dobbs decision, a lot more of these … spaces are starting to pop up.”
Gretchen Raffa, vice president of public policy, advocacy and organizing for Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, one of only two abortion providers in the state, expressed concern about misinformation and medical misdirection in an email to The Herald.
CPCs advertise that they provide services such as abortion, emergency contraception and counseling, when at their core they are morally opposed to these resources and will not provide them, Raffa explained.
In addition, Raffa and Foye explained that CPCs often lack medically trained staff or licensed professionals, making them illegitimate as medical clinics. Raffa cited a 2006 report written for US House Representative Henry Waxman, a Democrat from California, where researchers found that 87% of CPCs contacted provided false or misleading information about the health impacts of receiving an abortion.
“Through their deceptive advertising practices, anti-abortion CPCs are public health hazards as they disrupt access to time-sensitive reproductive health care,” Raffa explained. “Not all of these centers are falsely and misleadingly advertised, but those that try to mislead people can cause serious harm.”
But some Rhode Island CPCs say those accusations are false.
Gail Faraj-Musleh, executive director of the Mother of Life Pregnancy Center, one of the clinics specifically convened by the Womxn Project, emphasized that her organization’s goal is only to improve members of the pregnant community who they face difficult circumstances, offering resources to those who come from marginalized backgrounds.
“I have a passion for life and I have a passion for women who haven’t had the opportunities I’ve had in life,” Faraj-Musleh said. “I really wanted to support them on their journey, in raising their families and in their very difficult relationships.”
According to Faraj-Musleh, the Mother of Life Pregnancy Center offers ultrasounds, STD testing information, counseling, parenting classes, car seats and additional resources for people in times of need, regardless of the religious affiliation or insurance coverage. Through these services, she believes her organization empowers community members to recognize and use skills they may not have used in the past, giving them the tools and support to guide them in raising their children. potential families.
Faraj-Musleh emphasized the importance of choice in abortion decision-making, stating that the Mother of Life only serves to provide choices without coercive methods.
“There are three (options). It’s carrying and parenting, aborting and adopting,” she said. “Abortion shouldn’t be the default. It’s a choice. So is parenting, and that’s what we’re helping to do here.”
YG Nyghtstorm, Mother of Life security professional and former US congressional candidate, agreed with Faraj-Musleh’s statement, noting the “pro-choice” nature of the center. He believes CPCs provide a social service to Rhode Island’s most vulnerable communities, providing a safe haven for those who have nowhere else to turn.
Addressing allegations of untrained medical staff and unlicensed practitioners at the clinic, Faraj-Musleh defended the legitimacy of her center’s practices, stating that Mother of Life consistently renews its annual certification to perform pregnancy tests and exams through the Rhode Island Department of Health.
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“We have to be under the care of a medical director to do an ultrasound. The ultrasound has to be done by someone who is trained, and she has an active license in the state of Rhode Island,” Faraj-Musleh said, adding that Mother of Life’s medical providers are ” fully trained” with “more than 35” years of experience.
Foye noted that low-income residents are at greatest risk of CPC “propaganda,” as these spaces prey on these populations during a “confusing time” in their lives.
The Womxn Project has worked to disrupt search engine optimization and misleading CPC reviews on Google, hoping to lower their online pop-ups and search engine priority, Foye explained. Walk-ins, demonstrations and social media advocacy have also played a big role in The Womxn Project’s campaign, as Foye aims to draw as much attention as possible to the ongoing issue, she said.
Raffa added that Planned Parenthood appreciates the public activism already taking place, highlighting the importance of breaking down unnecessary barriers for pregnant people.
“To combat stigma and misinformation, we must continue to educate the public with accurate, nonjudgmental information,” Raffa said. “Everyone deserves the freedom, autonomy and accurate medical information needed to make informed decisions about their bodies, lives and futures.”
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