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According to Planned Parenthood, Crisis Pregnancy Centers have a history of providing misleading or wrong information about abortions. Specifically they state:

They have a history of giving women wrong, biased information to scare them into not having abortions.

These centers

[...]

  • may tell you that you are not pregnant even if you are. This may fool you into continuing your pregnancy without knowing it. If your decision is delayed, it could make abortion more risky. It could also keep you from getting early prenatal care.

[...]

Is there any evidence that Crisis Pregnancy Centers have lied about the results of a pregnancy test? Is there evidence that they lie about this as a matter of policy?

Mad Scientist
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Affable Geek
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2 Answers2

16

There's a long list of references to False medical information collected on Wikipedia. One of those is their being misleading/inaccurate about the type of pregnancy tests they offer, with a reference to the following New York Times article.

PREGNANCY CENTERS: ANTI-ABORTION ROLE CHALLENGED (January 23, 1987)

The Pearson manual has been described by law-enforcement officials around the country as a 93-page guidebook of ways to mislead consumers.

Referring to the centers' pregnancy tests, the same sort available at a drugstore, the manual suggests: ''Tell her it's a refined form of the old rabbit test. This usually satisfies them. At no time do you need to tell them what you're doing.''

At the time of Ms. Weinstock's visit, she said, she was told that urine and blood tests were ''identical'' and that a urine sample did not need to be taken the first thing in the morning. Both pieces of information are incorrect.

Over the counter urine tests are not as accurate as a blood test: for example the Mayo Clinic says,

Could a negative result be wrong?

It's possible to get a negative result from a home pregnancy test when you're actually pregnant. This is known as a false-negative — and it's much more likely to occur than is a false-positive. You might get a false-negative if you:

  • Take the test too early. The earlier after a missed period that you take a home pregnancy test, the harder it is for the test to detect HCG. For the most accurate results, take the test one week after a missed period — when the level of HCG in your urine is most likely to be detectable. If you can't wait that long, ask your health care provider for a blood test.

Using that to try to answer your questions:

Is there any evidence that Crisis Pregnancy Centers have lied about the results of a pregnancy test?

The wording of the claim in the OP is not that they "lie about the results". Lying about the nature of the test and/or giving false information about how to conduct the test is IMO justification for a claim or warning that they "may tell you that you are not pregnant even if you are".

Is there evidence that they lie about this as a matter of policy?

The Pearson manual, a training manual for such clinics referenced in the NYT article quoted above, is (some, old) evidence for this being a matter of 'policy'.

ChrisW
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    It does seem to indicate that giving the women false or misleading information is A-OK as long as it leads her to make the choice they want her to make -- or at least, in the case of states with stringent abortion regulations, keep her from making the choice they don't want until it's no longer an option. – Shadur Dec 20 '13 at 05:38
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    Is there any evidence that this "Ms. Weinstock" - who is a pro-abortion activist who was actively trying to gather dirt about pregnancy crisis center - wasn't lying? Because her statement that is the only evidence NYT is presenting in that article that relates to pregnancy tests. Pearson manual (admittedly, I didn't read teh whole thing, just NYT quote) never mentions telling people that they aren't pregnant if they are. – user5341 Dec 31 '13 at 17:38
  • @DVK The problem I identified is that "free pregnancy test" may mean "over the counter urine test" which isn't reliable. [Planned Parenthood charges that CPC administrators portray their businesses as "medical facilities", when they do not have professional licensing from local or state health departments, and are staffed primarily with volunteers rather than medical professionals.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_pregnancy_center#Advertising_methods) IMO you may not get reliable medical advice (about pregnancy) from such people. – ChrisW Dec 31 '13 at 18:01
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    @ChrisW - "not a reliable medical advice" != "lie about **results**" – user5341 Dec 31 '13 at 19:07
  • @DVK Yes. I think that's what I tried to say at the end of my answer: that the claim ("pregnancy without knowing it") and the question title ("lie about the results") don't necessarily match; and that the claim may be true, that you may be fooled into believing you're not pregnant, not because they lie about the results, but because they give you an unreliable test, and/or misdirect you about how to use the test. – ChrisW Dec 31 '13 at 21:36
  • I don't think this answers the question. The question is "_Do_ they lie?"; this answer relies on a NYT article that is now 30 years old, and really only answers "_Did_ they lie?" – Reinstate Monica -- notmaynard Nov 27 '17 at 23:17
  • @iamnotmaynard The question asks, "Is there any evidence that [they] have lied?" Also I mostly address the quoted claim rather than the OP's question: and the quoted claim is that "They have a history of giving women wrong, biased information" and "may tell you that you are not pregnant even if you are", so I tried to find evidence relevant to that. – ChrisW Nov 27 '17 at 23:30
9

Introduction

The claim is a bit more complex than presented by the question, which is an extract of a particular bullet point in a larger set of "things that could go wrong" going to a Crisis Pregnancy Centers, according to Planned Parenthood.

In particular the OP points to the main claim of bias/wrongdoing of same of the CPCs and a particular claimed risk that they could lie about the results of pregnancy tests. I'm addressing both claims in the following paragraphs.

A note of caution. Medical and scientific facts are taken as representing our best knowledge in the rest of the answer. The following paragraphs will merely concentrate on ascertaining whether some CPCs committed certain actions. If you disagree with the mainstream scientific position on contraception, pregnancy tests and abortion you are probably better off not proceeding.

First Claim

They have a history of giving women wrong, biased information to scare them into not having abortions

This is evidently true and even a cursory look using google returns dozens of studies (some with the US government imprimatur) showing that they do.

Wrong info about consequences

According to The Star, CPCs offer false medical information about the consequences of abortion: they overstate (or completely make up) emotional trauma, breast cancer and future fertility problems.

Wrong info about consequences

According to Abortion misinformation from crisis pregnancy centers in North Carolina, a peer-reviewed article,

Many crisis pregnancy centers give inaccurate medical information regarding the risks of abortion. Overstating risks stigmatizes abortion, seeks to intimidate women and is unethical.

Wrong info about consequences, manipulation

According to a study by the University of Chicago some have deceptive practices:

CPCs continue to provide limited resources, inaccurate information and biased counseling to women seeking prompt and reliable reproductive guidance and care. While the services they provide may be appropriate for the needs of some women, the delays and misinformation at many of these centers can undermine the health and well-being of women.

Wrong info about facts

According to the Guttmacher Institute, Misinformed Consent: The Medical Accuracy of State-Developed Abortion Counseling Materials:

A pregnant teenager who relied on the information from these federally funded centers would make her decision about whether to give birth or terminate her pregnancy based on erroneous facts and misinformation.

Second Claim

may tell you that you are not pregnant even if you are. This may fool you into continuing your pregnancy without knowing it. If your decision is delayed, it could make abortion more risky. It could also keep you from getting early prenatal care.

A bit harder to find in the dozens of reports available, but there's very strong evidence that there is a concrete risk they do lie, manipulate and try to delay patients using pregnancy tests.

Manipulation

According to an independent journalistic report on the Huffington Post

I could hear two employees whispering before entering my room, plotting strategies to reveal the test results and best manipulate my reaction.

So there's at least a real example of a CPC manipulating how (positive) pregnancy test results are revealed.

Wrong information about tests

A pro-choice group presented a referenced study of CPCs in Virginia and found that:

Several CPCs told our investigators of the need to "medically confirm a pregnancy" before even considering abortion, and many stressed the importance of obtaining a "professional" pregnancy test – despite using common urine tests widely available in stores. One investigator was told to visit the center for a pregnancy test because "the pregnancy tests we use are extra sensitive and better than the average pregnancy tests."

So, above, they are saying to a woman who has done a test by herself and found it positive to disregard the result and do one of theirs.

Wrong information about tests

They have been caught bold face lying about pregnancy tests by the New York Times

All three centers advertise "free pregnancy tests." Since the City Health Department levied its fines, which ranged from $750 to $4,000, it is unclear whether tests are still being processed on the premises. At the time of Ms. Weinstock's visit, she said, she was told that urine and blood tests were "identical" and that a urine sample did not need to be taken the first thing in the morning. Both pieces of information are incorrect.

Delaying tactics

According to a Pro-Choice research paper:

CPCs employ tactics designed to delay and even harass or intimidate women from having abortions. For example, CPCs have been known to extend the waiting period for pregnancy test results to expose women to their anti-choice or religious propaganda

Delaying tactics

According to another pro choice research:

Our investigators found that medical services were often used to lure women into the centers or to delay abortion services. All centers visited offered free pregnancy testing. This is a principal strategy used to entice women into the centers. Unfortunately, CPCs used this seemingly benign service as an opportunity to dissuade women from abortion.

Caveats

  1. I've ignored the "may" in the second claim even though they clearly present this as a possibility and not a certainty

  2. Some resources are pro-choice, and they were chosen because:

    • they presented a clear argument
    • it was published, possibly reviewed and always well referenced
    • I presented at least another independent, not pro-life reference for the same claim

  3. There are very many resources on this topic, if anyone has patience to find more example they should free to add them to this answer.

Sklivvz
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    This does not address the claim that they provide false negative results to clients who come in for pregnancy tests. – Chad Dec 18 '13 at 21:35
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    @Chad there is no such claim. – Sklivvz Dec 18 '13 at 21:35
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    @Chad the claim provided by the op is literally "[they] may tell you that you are not pregnant even if you are.". They "may say so" means that there's a risk of it happening. Even if I could find a report of it happening, it would not "prove" anything more than that. – Sklivvz Dec 18 '13 at 21:47
  • @Chad I found two independent pieces of evidence now which specifically refer to CPCs lying about tests. Happier? – Sklivvz Dec 18 '13 at 22:12
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    I understand why a CPC might provide false or misleading information about abortion risks, but I can't figure out what would motivate lying about the results of their own pregnancy tests. It also seems excessive extrapolation to imply that _all_ CPCs lie about such things when looking at anecdotal data. Note that the University of Chicago uses qualifiers such as "many". – Jon 'links in bio' Ericson Dec 18 '13 at 22:19
  • @JonEricson but the claim says they "may". And they "may" indeed because some actually do (according to e.g. the Huffington post). There is no claim that they always do. – Sklivvz Dec 18 '13 at 22:19
  • I'm thinking particularly about the line "Crisis Pregnancy Centers are well known to lie about medical information to women going there." It would be like saying "Men are well known to lie about their shoe size." – Jon 'links in bio' Ericson Dec 18 '13 at 22:21
  • @JonEricson If you can provide citations that men lie about their shoe size statistically, I would have no trouble with your second statement. – Sklivvz Dec 18 '13 at 22:24
  • @JonEricson you seem to assume there's a [hasty generalization](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasty_generalization) somewhere, but I can't find it neither in my answer nor in the claim. What am I missing? – Sklivvz Dec 18 '13 at 22:27
  • I can only see a [strawman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawman) in the question itself (since it a basically changes the claim from "watch out they may lie to you" to "do they lie?" – Sklivvz Dec 18 '13 at 22:29
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    Right. If the question is "do CPCs sometimes lie", the answer is trivially, "yes". But if the question is "do CPCs tell pregnant women that they are not pregnant when their own tests indicate pregnancy", the question is _far_ more complicated. Why lie about something a woman can verify for themselves at minimal cost and effort? The purpose of offering free pregnancy tests is to get women to be thinking about the pregnancy from a certain perspective, not to get them to stop thinking about pregnancy altogether. The claim in the question seems unlikely from the point of view of motivation. – Jon 'links in bio' Ericson Dec 18 '13 at 22:37
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    @JonEricson speculatively, as for motivation, delaying a pregnancy test will make women lose an opportunity to use a day after pill for example. Or it may be used as a tactic to make them come to the clinic if they only call. A doctor would simply advise to use an off-the counter test. But, motivation is off topic here, and it doesn't really matter at all: either there is a concrete risk they lie about the tests or there is not. I think I've shown there is. – Sklivvz Dec 18 '13 at 22:41
  • @JonEricson I've added "Whether they do lie about this particular often, we can only speculate: I couldn't see any specific statistics on the matter." to make it more clear – Sklivvz Dec 18 '13 at 22:46
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    https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/burden-of-proof – Andrew Grimm Dec 19 '13 at 00:29
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    @and please explain what is the claim that bears that burden and who made it. – Sklivvz Dec 19 '13 at 00:38
  • Note that parts of this conversation are [being discussed on meta](http://meta.skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/2617/can-we-stop-being-rude) – Shog9 Dec 19 '13 at 16:39
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    Are we taking "pro-choice research groups" as being unbiased sources? – DJClayworth Dec 19 '13 at 23:30
  • @DJClayworth I believe I fully disclose which sources are pro-choice (as far as I can tell), and use them in addition to more neutral sources. I would present pro-life sources as well but in this context it doesn't make much sense (a study on one's own objectivity will get positive results if one is objective, or *because* one isn't), and I couldn't find any relevant ones. – Sklivvz Dec 21 '13 at 10:18
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    @EbenezerSklivvze - the "independent journalistic report" moniker you hung on HuffPro hit piece (especially given that it - once you dig through innuendo - does NOT talk about lying about test results), speaks for itself as far as your evaluations of objectivity. – user5341 Dec 31 '13 at 18:05
  • "EbenezerSklivvze"? WTF? – Gareth McCaughan Nov 29 '17 at 11:16
  • (Ah, this was in late December -- did Sklivvz change their username to reflect the season or something?) – Gareth McCaughan Nov 29 '17 at 11:20