A health center in Australia is declaring the protests at their clinic a “failure,” with the number of women visiting actually increasing since the “sidewalk counselors” began showing up.  According to one doctor, the presence of the protesters has actually helped to inform women that their services exist, providing a choice for women with unwanted pregnancies that they didn’t believe they had before.

The protesters state they are there to provide additional information and options, but don’t seem to be swaying the patients much at all.

The Boarder Mail reports:

Dr Lewis said the anti-abortionists were harassing her clients and breaching their privacy by filming them entering the clinic.

She said she had her own footage of members of the group “chasing people across the street”.

“They have backed off a little bit but I think their very presence is very intimidating, it makes women feel under threat,” Dr Lewis said.

“A lot of them are a lot more stressed, I spend a lot more time reassuring them.”

Anti-choice activists show up once a week, for the clinic’s sole day of providing terminations.