You accidentally visited a crisis pregnancy center. Now what?

We covered how to spot a crisis pregnancy center (CPC) before you walk through the door. But what if you didn’t know? What if you already went in, shared your info, sat through the visit, and only realized afterward that something felt off?

First: don’t beat yourself up.

CPCs are designed to look like real health centers. They often have professional-looking websites, exam rooms, staff in white coats, and ads that appear near legit health providers. Getting tricked by one doesn’t mean you weren’t paying attention. It means the deception worked. The good news? Once you know what happened, there are things you can do to protect yourself and help other people avoid the same experience.

Let’s recap what a CPC is

A CPC is an organization that presents itself as a health provider while withholding, distorting, or misrepresenting information about sexual and reproductive health.

Many CPCs advertise pregnancy-related services, but their main goal isn’t to help people make informed decisions. Their goal is to discourage abortion, birth control, and all sexual activity outside of (straight) marriage.

That matters because people deserve accurate information when making decisions about their bodies, relationships, and futures. You can’t make an informed choice if someone isn’t giving you the full story or actively lying to you.

What to do if you’re at a CPC

If you’re still at the CPC at this moment, get out. You don’t owe anyone an explanation.

You don’t need to provide your real name or contact information. You don’t need to debate with the staff. You don’t need to defend your decisions. And you definitely don’t need to stay.

If leaving feels awkward, keep it simple:

• “I forgot I have to go to (insert place such as work, running an errand, etc.).”
• “I’m going to think about this and come back later.”
• “I need to talk with my partner.”
• “I have another appointment.”
• And here’s one that always works whether or not you are religious: “I need to go pray about this outside on my own.”

Then leave.

If you shared any personal information, make a note of what it was, including your phone number, email address, home address, pregnancy information, or anything else you remember. Stay aware of any communications or future attempts to contact you using this information.

What to do if you visited a CPC

Tell people you trust what happened

CPCs stay successful because many people don’t realize they’ve visited one. If you feel comfortable, tell friends, family members, classmates, coworkers, or people in your community about your experience. A quick conversation could save someone else from wasting time, being misled, or delaying care they need.

Leave an honest review

One of the easiest ways to help other people is by sharing your experience online.

Leave a review on:

• Google
• Yelp
• Facebook
• Other review platforms people use in your area

Remember, these reviews are public, but if you choose to share one, stick to facts and personal experience.

For example:

• Did staff give inaccurate information about health care (such as abortion or birth control)?
• Did they claim to be a medical clinic when they weren’t?
• Did they pressure you to continue a pregnancy?
• Did they refuse to discuss all of your options?
• Honest reviews help people searching for care understand what they’re actually walking into.
• Upvote and support honest reviews

Or, if you don’t want to share your experience, support others who have. You don’t have to write a review yourself to make a difference.

If you find reviews that accurately describe a CPC’s tactics, mark them as helpful, like them, or upvote them.

The more visible honest reviews become, the harder it is for CPCs to do their job. Bad reviews have a big impact on how they market to and target people online.

Report bad business practices

If a CPC advertised services that it doesn’t actually provide, claimed to offer medical care that wasn’t available, or otherwise misled you or others, consider filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The FTC investigates unfair and deceptive business practices.

Reporting doesn’t mean anything will happen immediately. But complaints help create a record of bad behavior.

Share information where people are searching

Many people turn to Reddit when they’re trying to figure out if a provider is legit.

Consider sharing your experience in:

• Local city or region subreddits
• State-based reproductive health subreddits
• Abortion access subreddits
• Other relevant forums

A short, factual post can help someone avoid the same situation months or even years later.

Help map CPCs for other people

Several organizations track CPCs so people can identify them before they go. If the CPC you visited isn’t already listed, consider submitting their information to:

• Crisis Pregnancy Center Map
• ExposeFakeClinics
• Reproaction’s Anti-Abortion Center Database

These projects need community reporting help to stay updated.

The takeaway

Getting tricked by a CPC can feel frustrating. You may feel violated by it. But the responsibility belongs to the organization that misled you—not to you.

Once you’re out, you can turn that experience into something useful. Try to harness that energy to help others and get educated about quality health care in your community.

If you’re still looking for real health care, trusted resources are out there. Use AbortionFinder to find a verified in-person or online abortion provider, plus other abortion support. You can use our Bedsider clinic finder to find birth control or other sexual and reproductive health care. These resources will never ever list a CPC.

Everyone deserves accurate information and the freedom to make their own decisions. Helping expose CPCs makes it easier for the next person to get both.