Reproductive rights activists call for closure of anti-abortion ‘clinics’ in Milwaukee

Milwaukee, WI – On May 10, dozens of people picketed outside the Women’s Care Center on Milwaukee’s South Side, demanding an end to the deceptive “care” it provides. This facility is one of nine crisis pregnancy centers located in Milwaukee. Crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) are fake clinics that masquerade as facilities offering “all-option” pregnancy counseling, free ultrasounds, and pregnancy testing. However, they often lack trained medical staff and do not adhere to confidentiality regulations.

CJ Lund, a member of Reproductive Justice Action-Milwaukee (RJAM), stated, “We’re out here today to stand up and say that abortion care is healthcare and vital for all! We’re here to raise awareness about CPCs – aka fake clinics – like the Women’s Care Center, which are infiltrating our community, spreading misinformation, and creating barriers for those in need of actual healthcare.”

These organizations are operated by the anti-abortion movement to confuse and pressure pregnant individuals into continuing their pregnancies against their wishes.

“They are part of a larger societal goal: to force people into birthing the next generation of laborers and to maintain people’s socioeconomic placement in our system,” says Carly Klein from RJAM. She continued, “The anti-abortion movement, as a whole, wants to use forced birth as a means to control marginalized, oppressed and working-class people. CPCs are one way to mislead people and limit their access to care and life-saving services.”

Since abortion services resumed in Wisconsin in September 2023, Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee has been fighting for more accessible abortion care and against barriers to healthcare.

Activists from the organization have successfully infiltrated three crisis pregnancy centers in the city. Lauren Forbush, an organizer with RJAM, visited the CPC where the picket was held, stating that they were pregnant and wanted to explore their options. Forbush explained, “While undercover, I experienced judgment, pressure to get an ultrasound, and received deceptive and misleading information about abortion.” They added, “During the experience, the employee I met with never introduced herself until the very end of the discussion and told me to use Google when I asked about abortion services.”

Reproductive Justice Action-Milwaukee plans to continue their campaign, CPCs Out of MKE, targeting fake clinics in the city. They will be picketing weekly throughout the month of May. Their goal is to expose and shut down these centers and redirect community members to honest and competent medical services.

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