We are monitoring several updates in the unregulated pregnancy clinic (UPC) industry and reproductive and maternal health rights this week.
- The Independent released the results of an investigation into abortion access in America post-Roe, including an in-depth look at the unregulated pregnancy clinic industry featuring new analysis from RHFW. From the story: “There is often little to no government oversight to justify the spending. In fact, measures to require greater oversight in states like North Carolina have been blocked, leaving much of the industry’s activity shrouded in mystery. The industry has managed to rack up at least $1.7 billion in revenue in 2022 alone, according to RHFW’s review of tax documents.” Alongside their investigation, the Independent released a documentary on the American landscape of abortion access, featuring interviews and testimonials from women seeking abortion care, doctors, and healthcare providers.
RHFW released analysis of the updated revenue numbers from 2022, analyzing the data found in tax forms from UPCs from across the country, which finds:
- UPC industry funding and expenses are increasing at an alarming rate.
- According to the most recent reports from UPC industry leaders, demand for UPC services is declining while UPC industry funding and expenses hit new peaks.
- The UPC industry is rebranding with 37% of UPCs operating under at least one alternate name.
- The UPC industry reports over 100,000 staff and volunteers in FY 2022 alone.
- 96% of voters support accountability for taxpayer dollars appropriated to the UPC industry.
2. New reporting from NBC News details how UPCs ask invasive personal questions on intake forms without any legal protection for the data they collect. This story is groundbreaking as it reveals, for the first time, the vast amount of personal health data collected by thousands of crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) across the U.S. In the current climate of abortion bans, the collected data—including identifying details, health records, and even checklists tracking emotional reactions to positive pregnancy results or ultrasounds—raises serious concerns.
From NBC’s story: “Sage Women’s Center says on its website that it complies with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA, and that the information is protected and kept confidential. But because the center offers its services for free, it’s not actually legally bound by federal health data privacy laws.”
Jezebel pointed out: “Because the manipulative tactics of CPCs, from Colorado to New York, are so universal, their reporting on the information-collecting tactics of Sage Women’s Center provides important insight into what’s going on behind closed doors across the country.”
As Reproductive Health and Freedom Watch UPC program director Jenifer McKenna said, this raises the question: “How are unregulated pregnancy clinics protecting the sensitive health information they’re collecting from women seeking their care? State legislators and law enforcement should investigate how these clinics are storing and sharing client personal health information.”