Did you know that more than 120 anti-abortion, fake women’s health centers operate in Florida? What if I told you that you are helping pay for them?
Did you know that more than 120 anti-abortion, fake women’s health centers operate in Florida? What if I told you that you are helping pay for them? Thanks to Gov. Rick Scott and his allies in the legislature, many of these fake clinics receive millions of our tax dollars. These fake clinics like to be called “crisis pregnancy centers” and often disguise themselves as legitimate women’s health care facilities. Fake clinics use deceptive, manipulative practices to shame women out of getting birth control and abortion care, diverting women from accessing comprehensive and timely care from appropriately trained and licensed medical providers.
A new, ill-conceived Florida law, pushed through by anti-abortion legislators and signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott, attempts to validate fake clinics by funding them through a state contract with the Department of Health.
Until this fake clinics law is reversed by a future governor and legislature, we must put pressure on DOH to forcefully regulate fake clinics’ utilization of our tax dollars, including that they:
- provide services in a non-coercive manner
- do not include any religious content in service delivery
- provide current and accurate information
- provide references for any medical statements
- obtain background screenings for all paid staff and volunteers
Women facing unintended pregnancies go to these centers, tricked into thinking they are going to get real medical care and unbiased counseling. Instead, they get false or misleading information about what services are offered, they are denied needed referrals for reproductive health care, and they are shamed for considering abortion.
We will present this petition to the Surgeon General and Secretary of the Florida Department of Health, Dr. Celeste Philip, in Tallahassee.
Thanks for all you do to fight for reproductive freedom throughout our state.