Montgomery County, Md., Considers Mandating Disclaimers For Antiabortion-Rights Pregnancy Centers

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 13 Nov 2009 - 3:00 PST

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A proposed regulation in Montgomery County, Md., would require pregnancy centers operated by antiabortion-rights groups to provide women with a disclaimer to clarify the source of information the centers provide and explain that the facilities are not medical clinics, the Washington Post reports. A draft of the disclaimer says that information from such centers "is not intended to be medical advice or to establish a doctor-patient relationship." It also states that "the client should consult with a health care provider before proceeding on a course of action regarding the client's pregnancy." The proposal's co-sponsors included seven members of the nine-member Montgomery County Council.

Supporters of the disclaimer say it is a matter of consumer protection. Centers run by abortion-rights opponents often appear to be abortion clinics and advertise themselves as places to get information on the procedure, when in truth they try to dissuade women from ending their pregnancies, the Post reports. According to County Council member Duchy Trachtenberg (D), who introduced the proposal, "There is misleading and medically inaccurate information that's being provided to young women at these centers." For instance, one such center, the Shady Grove Pregnancy Center, says on its Web site that abortion can lead to an "increased potential for breast cancer." However, the National Cancer Institute says that "having an abortion or miscarriage does not increase a woman's subsequent risk of developing breast cancer."

Research by NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland and a 2006 report for Democrats on the House Committee on Government Reform also found evidence that clinics provided women with misleading or inaccurate advice. According to Jennifer Blasdell, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland, "Women seeking information pertaining to their health care need factual information and timely services. This legislation will help women know the limitations of the services offered by these facilities."

Similar disclaimer proposals have been considered in Baltimore, New York, West Virginia and other places, according to the Post. Angela Martin, the executive director of Maryland Right to Life, said that the disclaimers are "completely unwarranted and unnecessary. They are essentially trying to impose unnecessary regulations on charities that are providing women with genuine alternatives to abortion" (Laris, Washington Post, 11/11).

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