Curbing Anti-Abortion Pregnancy Centers in Connecticut
In 2021, Connecticut took a major step to protect residents from the deceptive advertising practices of anti-abortion limited service pregnancy centers, sometimes called “fake clinics,” with the passage of SB835. The bill gives the Attorney General’s office the power to seek a court order to stop the deceptive advertising practices of these facilities.
NIRH has long worked in partnership with NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut, having collaborated to pass an ordinance in Hartford in 2017 intended to address both deceptive advertising practices and other harms caused by limited service pregnancy centers. SB385 is an example of how state and local governments can step up to ensure that people seeking reproductive health care do not experience delays in seeking access to medical care as a result of lies, misinformation, or deception.
Pregnant people should have access to trustworthy, timely, and high-quality medical care in their community. The Connecticut lawmakers and advocates who championed this bill’s passage truly served their communities by curbing the spread of deceptive information from these facilities. It’s critical to ensure these facilities cannot purposely deceive those who are seeking care and accurate information.Andrea Miller, President of NIRH