Rewire, the Feminist Majority and their partners examine the use of false and misleading information about abortion, birth control, and sexually transmitted diseases by crisis pregnancy centers in a recent blog post and documentary video. Many CPCs receive federal tax dollars.  Congress will vote soon, perhaps as soon as tomorrow, on whether or not to continue public funding of CPCs.

Below is a recording of a media conference call held on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009.  This media conference profiled the special report based on investigations examining what happens in crisis pregnancy centers posing as medical facilities that counsel pregnant women against having an abortion. The report uncovers the use of inaccurate information, scare tactics, and proselytizing at these pregnancy centers, many of which are funded by taxpayer dollars.

Listen
to the audio media conference here (the first few minutes of the recording is a bit garbled, but it improves):

Download

Speakers on the conference call included:

Katherine Spillar is Executive Vice-President of the Feminist Majority Foundation. As a founder of the Feminist Majority Foundation, Spillar coordinates and helps oversee the FMF’s reproductive health and rights initiatives including the Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics and National Clinic Access Project. 

Jennifer Cox is a senior majoring in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Oklahoma. In addition to participating in grassroots dialogue with anti-choice activists on campus, Cox is involved in the development and presentation of a peer education Sexual Assault Awareness curriculum with the OU Women’s Outreach Center.

Lauren Guy-McAlpin, fromCPC-Watch. CPC Watch is dedicated to exposing fake clinics (so-called "crisis pregnancy centers") and offers a range of resources for women facing unplanned pregnancies. CPC Watch was created in response to the ever-growing influence of anti-choice propaganda on reproductive rights debates today. We believe there is no choice without access, and we cannot claim women are "free to choose" their reproductive destinies when so many well-funded crisis pregnancy centers are pushing false or misleading information all over the country. 

William A. Smith is Vice President for Public Policy for SIECUS. Mr. Smith joined SIECUS in February 2000 and directs its public policy activities, government relations, and advocacy efforts. Mr. Smith advocates on important issues related to reproductive and sexual health including sexuality education, teen sexual health, HIV/AIDS, and sexual orientation on the federal, state, and local levels.

James Wagoner has been at the helm of Advocates for Youth, the leading national organization on adolescent reproductive and sexual health program and policy, since September 1997. A respected public policy expert, Mr. Wagoner is a frequent speaker on the issues of comprehensive sex education, HIV prevention, and teen pregnancy prevention, a frequent contributor to national blogs, and has appeared on television and radio, including CNN Headline News, the Today Show and MSNBC.