Crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) are nonprofit organizations, typically faith-based, that offer free pregnancy-related services with the goal of discouraging abortion. There are an estimated 2,400 to 2,800 of them operating across the United States, significantly outnumbering abortion clinics. They go by many names, including “pregnancy resource centers” or “women’s care centers,” and they often set up near college campuses or in communities with limited healthcare access.
What Services They Offer
Most CPCs provide free pregnancy tests, and many now offer limited ultrasounds. Beyond testing, they commonly supply material support like diapers, baby clothes, formula, and parenting classes. Some provide referrals for prenatal care or adoption agencies. The free services are a significant draw, especially for people without insurance or those facing financial pressure during an unexpected pregnancy.
What CPCs generally do not offer is comprehensive reproductive healthcare. Most do not employ licensed physicians, do not prescribe contraception, and do not provide or refer for abortion services. Their core mission is to encourage people to continue their pregnancies, and their counseling reflects that goal.
How CPCs Differ From Medical Clinics
One of the most important distinctions is regulatory. The vast majority of CPCs are not bound by HIPAA, the federal law that protects patient health information. Because they typically provide services for free and do not bill insurance, they don’t meet the legal definition of a “covered entity” under HIPAA. That means the personal and health information you share at a CPC may not have the same privacy protections it would at a doctor’s office, hospital, or licensed clinic.
Some CPCs do employ or contract with medical professionals to perform ultrasounds, and a handful operate under medical licenses. But most function primarily as counseling and resource organizations staffed by volunteers, not healthcare providers.
Concerns About Medical Accuracy
Major medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have raised concerns about the information CPCs provide. Some centers have been documented using graphic imagery or emotionally charged ultrasound sessions as persuasion tools rather than diagnostic ones. Critics say this crosses the line from counseling into manipulation, particularly for people in vulnerable situations.
A growing number of CPCs also offer what they call “abortion pill reversal,” a protocol that involves giving progesterone to someone who has taken the first of two medications in a medication abortion. ACOG has stated this procedure is “unproven and unethical.” The original evidence behind it came from a small case series of six women with no control group and no ethics board oversight. A more rigorous 2020 study attempting to evaluate the protocol in a controlled setting was stopped early because of safety concerns among participants. Despite this, some states have passed laws requiring doctors to inform patients about abortion reversal as if it were an established medical option.
Funding and Public Dollars
CPCs are funded through a mix of private donations, church support, and increasingly, taxpayer money. Public funding for CPCs has been growing across the country. In some states, the money flows through creative channels. Wisconsin, for instance, directs funds from “Choose Life” specialty license plates to CPCs, and lawmakers there have considered legislation granting CPCs $1 million per year in state funding. Several other states have established direct funding pipelines through their health and human services budgets, often framing CPCs as alternatives to abortion providers.
This public funding is controversial because CPCs are not held to the same clinical standards, licensing requirements, or privacy obligations as the medical facilities they sometimes resemble.
The Legal Landscape
The legal status of CPCs was shaped significantly by a 2018 Supreme Court case, National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra. California had passed a law requiring licensed CPCs to notify clients about the state’s free and low-cost reproductive health programs, including abortion services. Unlicensed centers were required to disclose that they were not medical facilities.
The Supreme Court struck down both requirements. It ruled the licensed notice was a content-based speech regulation that couldn’t survive constitutional scrutiny, calling it “wildly underinclusive” because it targeted only pregnancy-focused clinics while exempting other types of facilities serving similar populations. The unlicensed notice was found to be an unjustified burden on protected speech. The ruling effectively blocked states from requiring CPCs to disclose their non-medical status or inform visitors about abortion access, and it has been cited in challenges to similar laws in other states since.
How to Tell a CPC From a Medical Clinic
Because CPCs sometimes use names and branding that closely resemble medical clinics, distinguishing between them can be difficult. A few things to look for: CPCs rarely list specific physician names on their websites. They almost always advertise “free” pregnancy tests and ultrasounds prominently. They typically do not offer contraception, STI treatment, or abortion referrals. If a facility’s website emphasizes “options counseling” but only describes parenting and adoption as outcomes, it is likely a CPC.
If you’re looking for comprehensive reproductive healthcare, community health centers, Planned Parenthood locations, and OB-GYN offices are all held to medical licensing and privacy standards that CPCs generally are not. Your state health department’s website can help you identify licensed providers in your area.