Up to 2,000 Bogus Abortion Clinics Held to Oppose Ending Pregnancy

As many as 2,000 phony abortion clinics may be operating nationwide, using deceptive practices to persuade women not to terminate their pregnancies, a congressional staff report said Thursday.

The issue is one of deceptive advertising, said Rep. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), chairman of a House small business subcommittee that has investigated the practice.

“It’s about consumer fraud--misleading advertising,” Wyden said.

A report by his subcommittee staff said the phony clinics run misleading ads in Yellow Pages or elsewhere suggesting that they offer abortions or related services. But in fact, the report said, the clinics have no medical personnel and try to persuade the women not to have an abortion.

Wyden said he is particularly concerned about Yellow Pages telephone directory publishers who “wittingly or unwittingly may be aiding some very abusive activities” by agreeing to list the phony clinics without publishing disclaimers saying they do not offer abortion services.

Wyden’s subcommittee on regulation, business opportunities and energy scheduled a hearing today on the practice, with testimony expected from state consumer protection authorities and women who say they were victimized by bogus abortion clinic practices.

His subcommittee staff estimated that there may be as many as 2,000 deceptively promoted facilities nationwide, based on a survey of Yellow Pages directory listings in all 50 states and other surveys.

The bogus clinics are often operated with little corporate structure and no direct ties to national organizations, the staff report said.