FALSE AND MISLEADING INFORMATION PROVIDED BY FEDERALLY FUNDED PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS
PREPARED FOR
REP. HENRY A. WAXMAN

In December 2004, Rep. Waxman released a report by the Special Investigations Division
that evaluated the scientific accuracy of the curricula used in federally funded abstinence only
education programs. The report found that nearly all of the curricula contained
false, misleading, or distorted information about reproductive health. The curricula
included inaccurate information about disease and pregnancy prevention; erroneous
effectiveness rates for condoms; the presentation of religious belief as fact; and the
teaching of stereotypes about boys and girls as science.27



The centers provided false and
misleading information about a
link between abortion and breast
cancer.

Several centers quantified the claimed risk. One center
told the caller that there is an “extremely high,
increased risk of breast cancer” that “can be as much as
an 80% increase depending upon how the risk factors
fall into place.”38 A second center stated that abortion
increases the risk of breast cancer by 50%.39 A third
center asserted that an abortion elevates the average
lifetime risk of breast cancer by 50% and that more
abortions increase the risk even more.40

The centers provided false and
misleading information about the
effect of abortion on future
fertility.

The centers provided false and
misleading information about the
mental health effects of abortion.

Pregnancy resource centers often mask their pro-life mission in order to attract “abortionvulnerable
clients.”5 This can take the form of advertising under “abortion services” in
the yellow pages or obscuring the fact that the center does not provide referrals to
abortions in the text of an advertisement.6 Some centers purchase advertising on internet search engines under keywords that include “abortion” or “abortion clinics.”7 Other
advertisements represent that the center will provide pregnant teenagers and women with
an understanding of all of their options.
Separation of Church and State?

Prior to the Bush Administration, only a few pregnancy resource centers received federal funding. Beginning in 2001, however, federal funding of pregnancy resource centers
increased sharply. In total, over $30 million in federal funds went to more than 50 pregnancy resource centers between 2001 through 2005.13

An interview with a person who works at a crisis center:
"So people that come into your center that have already heard you, you get the chance to share the
Gospel with them, which is the ultimate thing of what we’re doing."