How to Spot a Fake Abortion Clinic (Crisis Pregnancy Center)

If you're searching for an abortion clinic — whether you're walking into a building or scrolling a website — you may run into a different kind of place that looks like an abortion provider but isn't one. These are sometimes called crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), "pregnancy resource centers," or "pregnancy help centers." They exist both as physical storefronts and as online sites and "telehealth" services. Many people don't realize they've landed at one until they're already inside, on the phone, or partway through filling out a form.

This guide explains what they are, the most common red flags online and in person, and how to find a real abortion provider you can trust.

What Is a Crisis Pregnancy Center?

A crisis pregnancy center is an organization that's set up to look like a medical clinic or telehealth service but exists to discourage people from having abortions. They typically don't perform or refer for abortions. Most are not licensed medical facilities, even when they offer pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, or "consultations."

Many CPCs are part of national networks of similar organizations, which is why they tend to look and operate alike across the country — even when each one has a different local name, website, or branding.

Why This Matters

CPCs aren't just unhelpful — they can actively delay your care. Common tactics include:

• Encouraging extra appointments or chats before giving you any usable information
• Performing ultrasounds (or scheduling them) without a medical license, and giving you imprecise or misleading dating
• Sharing inaccurate information about abortion safety, fertility, or mental health
• Trying to convince you that you have "more time" than you actually do — sometimes pushing you past your state's gestational limit before you realize it
• Promoting pseudoscientific concepts like "abortion pill reversal," which is not supported by medical evidence

If you're working against a clock (most state restrictions come with strict gestational age limits), a delay of even a week or two can take medication abortion off the table.

Two Tactics That Have Cost People Their Window

A few specific patterns are worth calling out, because they've cost people the ability to access medication abortion at all.

Misdated ultrasounds — sometimes deliberately. Some CPCs perform ultrasounds (often free) and report a gestational age that doesn't match the actual measurement. Sometimes this is sloppy — the person scanning may not be a licensed sonographer. Sometimes it's deliberate. Telling you you're earlier than you actually are buys time on their side, not yours: while you think you have weeks, the real gestational age can quietly cross your state's legal limit. By the time you find out, medication abortion may no longer be an option.

"You might be miscarrying." Some CPCs tell people who have any bleeding, spotting, or even minor cramping that the pregnancy "might end on its own" — implying there's no need to take the pills, just wait and see. Most ongoing pregnancies that continue past this point do not end naturally. While the person waits to "see what happens," days pass, the pregnancy advances, and the window for medication abortion narrows or closes.

If anyone — at a CPC or anywhere else — tells you a gestational age that doesn't match what you'd calculated, or suggests you "wait and see" instead of taking action, get a second opinion from a verified provider before any more time passes.

Red Flags Online: Fake Clinic Websites and "Telehealth"

CPCs have moved heavily online — running websites, ad campaigns, search results, and even fake "telehealth" services. Online CPCs are arguably the most common version most people will encounter today.

Naming and branding

• Domain names that sound vaguely medical or supportive: "womensoptions...," "pregnancyhelp...," "choicescare...," "hopeclinic..."
• Sites with names or layouts that look a lot like a real clinic — sometimes deliberately, to grab traffic from people searching nearby providers
• Logos, colors, and stock imagery that mimic medical-looking design

What the site says (and doesn't say)

• It talks heavily about "options," "support," "your decision," "alternatives," or "grief" — but doesn't clearly say whether it performs abortions
• Mentions "abortion information," "abortion education," or "options counseling" instead of listing abortion as a service
• Pushes "free" pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, or video consultations as the main offer
• Mentions "abortion pill reversal" or "abortion reversal" — this is a very strong signal you're on a CPC site (the concept isn't supported by medical evidence and is heavily promoted by anti-abortion networks)
• No prices, no service menu, no clear list of what's actually delivered

Who's behind the site

• No licensed clinicians (MD, DO, NP, PA, midwife) listed with credentials
• No clear medical director, no state licensing information, no facility accreditation
• Privacy policy is missing, vague, or doesn't reference HIPAA (CPCs are typically not HIPAA-covered because they're not medical providers)
• Religious affiliation tucked into "About" or "Mission" pages but not disclosed up front

How they reach you

• Aggressive ads under search terms like "abortion clinic near me," "abortion pill," or "options"
• Live chat boxes that immediately try to schedule a "consultation"
• Email or text follow-ups that are heavy on emotional language and light on specifics
• Forms that ask a lot of personal questions before they tell you what services they actually provide

For more on the difference between a fake online provider and a real telehealth abortion service, see how to tell if an online abortion service is legit.

Red Flags In Person: Storefront CPCs

Many CPCs still run physical locations — sometimes very intentionally next door to or on the same block as a real abortion clinic, to catch confused traffic.

Naming and signage

• Names that sound medical or supportive: "Women's Care Center," "Pregnancy Help," "Choices," "Hope Center"
• Names that closely resemble a real clinic in town
• Signage that looks medical but doesn't display a state license number or accreditation

Service list at the door

• "Abortion information" or "options counseling" advertised, but no abortion service listed
• "Free" pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, baby supplies, or "support" emphasized over actual care
• No contraception, prescriptions, or medical follow-up offered
• No clinicians listed at the front desk or on the wall

Behavior at the appointment

• The intake feels more like an interview than a medical history
• You're shown abortion videos, pamphlets, or graphic imagery
• They want to schedule additional appointments or "follow-up counseling" before doing anything else
• They press you about your relationship, faith, or finances
• They won't give you written, verifiable information about gestational age

"Abortion Pill Reversal": A Strong Online Signal

If you see "abortion pill reversal" or "APR" mentioned anywhere on a site or chat, treat it as a strong signal that you're looking at a CPC or CPC-affiliated network.

The premise — that progesterone can "reverse" mifepristone — is not supported by medical evidence. ACOG has stated explicitly that there's no scientific basis for it. Promotion of "abortion pill reversal" is one of the clearest fingerprints of CPC content online.

Green Flags: What a Real Abortion Provider Looks Like

A legitimate abortion provider — clinic or telehealth service — will:

• List "abortion" or "abortion care" as a service, with at least basic information about what's offered, what it costs, and what's involved
• Have licensed clinicians (MD, DO, NP, PA, midwife) listed somewhere on the site, with credentials
• Be HIPAA-compliant, with a privacy policy you can find and read
• Give you a clear price range or sliding scale, even if you have to ask
• Provide gestational age dating based on a calculated last-period date or a medically performed ultrasound, with the math behind it
• Refer out for any care they don't provide, or clearly tell you what they can and can't do
• Be findable through verified directories like AbortionFinder.org, INeedAnA.com, or the NAF Hotline (1-800-772-9100)

If a place doesn't match this profile — online or in person — it's worth asking more questions before you make another appointment, send another form, or share any more information.

What to Do If You Realize You're at a CPC

Online or in person, the same principles apply:

1. You can leave or close the tab at any time. You're not obligated to finish the appointment, sign anything, take a pamphlet, or finish a form.
2. You don't owe them medical history. They are usually not a HIPAA-covered medical provider, so anything you tell them isn't protected the way a real clinic visit would be.
3. Don't trust their dating, "diagnosis," or recommended next steps. Get pregnancy-related dating confirmed by a licensed provider before making decisions.
4. Take note of the name, URL, and tactics. Sites like Expose Fake Clinics rely on patient reports to flag CPCs publicly, so others can avoid them.

How to Find a Real Abortion Provider

A few sources worth bookmarking:

• AbortionFinder.org — vetted directory of abortion providers (in-person and telehealth) by state
• INeedAnA.com — similar vetted directory, including funding help
• Plan C — focused on medication abortion access; lists providers in every state
• NAF Hotline: 1-800-772-9100 — referrals to verified providers and abortion funds
• M+A Hotline (Miscarriage + Abortion): 1-833-246-2632 — clinical support, not a referral service, but useful if you have questions about a pregnancy or what's happening with your body

If you're considering telehealth, Southern Woven is one option in this space — licensed clinicians, online consultations, pills shipped to your home, and follow-up care. You can also use the directories above to compare options.

The Bottom Line

If a site or building won't tell you clearly what services they perform, who their clinicians are, what care costs, or how they got to your gestational age — that's the signal to step back and look elsewhere. A real provider, online or in person, has nothing to hide.

If you've been to a CPC (online or in person) and feel uncertain about what you were told, start a free, confidential consultation or call 845-THE-PILL and we'll go through your situation with you.

This information is for educational purposes and does not replace advice from a licensed healthcare provider. Reviewed by the Southern Woven Medical Team. Last updated: May 2026. Sources: ACOG, Society of Family Planning, public reporting from journalism and advocacy organizations tracking CPC networks.