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In her zeal to defend “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs), Becky Neusken sinks to a predictable anti-choice low in her guest opinion (dated 4/8) about Rep. Karen McCormick. Neusken uses unwarranted personal character attacks to impugn Rep. McCormick’s motives for her legislation, SB23-190 Deceptive Trade Practice Pregnancy-related Service.
Rep. McCormick is known for her careful, scientific, unbiased approach to gathering stakeholder input for her bills. She is approachable, answers calls and responds to emails. She is compassionate, a retired veterinarian and an expert in medical practices and study protocols. Her actions are motivated by a sincere desire to help, based on a principle I have heard her say many times: to “do what is right”.
Rep. McCormick’s bill seeks to protect women who are lured to these CPCs believing they are going to receive abortion care when the CPC’s motivation is really to prevent abortions. In Rep. McCormick’s words: “The bill does not aim to shut down these pregnancy centers. All we’re asking is that they be transparent about what they provide and equally transparent about what they don’t provide. The bill states that these centers must “say what they mean and mean what they say.” Don’t trick people. Be honest.”
An especially informative article by the AMA Journal of Ethics (https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/why-crisis-pregnancy-centers-are-legal-unethical/2018-03) asserts that “Health care professionals should support laws…that regulate CPCs by preventing them from withholding critical information about abortion availability from women seeking abortion.” This is what Rep. McCormick’s bill is about.
Neusken claims that Rep. McCormick is abusing her power by “going after people who are harming no one.” That CPCs are harming no one is a claim disputed by many professional medical associations.
And according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “CPCs Endanger Public Health”. (https://www.acog.org/advocacy/abortion-is-essential/trending-issues/issue-brief-crisis-pregnancy-centers)
Ms. Neusken complained she had not heard examples of the dangers CPCs pose to women in a vulnerable situation. I say she hasn’t looked. A quick search on google provides many examples:
- misinterpreting and misrepresenting medical evidence
- distracting and diverting pregnant women from the legitimate medical system to promote their own ideologic ends
- impeding access to abortion through delays, expense, or other tactics
- withholding information about abortion referral, not being transparent about clinically and ethically relevant details
- using inflammatory language to scare women and dissuade them from having abortions
- disinformation and deception regarding hormonal contraception, condom use, sexually transmitted diseases and sexuality
- not only misrepresenting the health-risks of abortion but also may intentionally lie to women about gestational ages of their pregnancies, a tactic that forces an increase in second-trimester abortions, which are harder to obtain, more expensive, and less safe than first-trimester abortions
- not subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, many are collecting private client data, which could be used for a range of purposes, from evangelizing to informing anti-abortion lawsuits for bounty in Texas
- deliberately providing misinformation about “pregnancy reversal”
Deliberately providing misinformation about “pregnancy reversal” is dangerous. Ms. Neusken claims “she (McCormick) has zero evidence that this harms anyone who has chosen to halt their abortion attempt.” This is simply not true and is, in fact, disinformation. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “Medication ‘Abortion Reversal’ Is Not Supported by Science.”
“There is currently no data on the safety of ingesting or injecting progesterone into the body of a pregnant person after they have taken mifepristone, and some researchers worry that combining the two hormones could cause birth defects in continued pregnancies.”
Studies supporting this procedure are not backed by an institutional review board or ethical review committee, raising concern for the protection of human subjects in these hormonal experiments.
I have no idea why Ms. Neusken feels so defensive of CPCs, or what stake she has in their operations. I can't imagine why anyone would impose such an
unjustified personal character attack on a sincere, hard-working duly elected representative when there is so much evidence in support of Rep. McCormick's bill.
I would suggest that Neusken is the one showing less concern for helping women than she has for the CPCs, where religious ideology takes priority over the health and well-being of the women seeking care at these centers. These centers need careful, thoughtful regulation and Rep. McCormick seeks to make sure Colorado provides that.
Sources:
Karen’s op ed
Neuskens lte
Links to Other Sources:
“Facts Are Important: Medication Abortion "Reversal" Is Not Supported by Science
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
CPCs Endanger Public Health
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Abstract - AMA Journal of Ethics®
Crisis pregnancy centers are organizations that seek to intercept women with unintended pregnancies who might be considering abortion. Their mission is to prevent abortions by persuading women that adoption or parenting is a better option. They strive to give the impression that they are clinical centers, offering legitimate medical services and advice, yet they are exempt from regulatory, licensure, and credentialing oversight that apply to health care facilities. Because the religious ideology of these centers’ owners and employees takes priority over the health and well-being of the women seeking care at these centers, women do not receive comprehensive, accurate, evidence-based clinical information about all available options. Although crisis pregnancy centers enjoy First Amendment rights protections, their propagation of misinformation should be regarded as an ethical violation that undermines women’s health.
The Myth of Abortion “Reversal”
