Mass. can help residents grapple with ‘crisis pregnancy centers’

The recent article about Your Options Medical, a so-called crisis pregnancy center — let’s call it an “anti-abortion clinic” — operating licensed clinics and a mobile van in Massachusetts, provided important context about a type of facility that is often misunderstood and potentially dangerous (“With abortion access, Cape also gets its foes: ‘Crisis pregnancy center’ sponsors medical van,” Page A1, Sept. 23). It is true that most crisis pregnancy centers are not clinics medically licensed by the Department of Public Health and do not provide comprehensive reproductive health care. Rather, these organizations seek to prevent people from accessing abortion care, often by providing inaccurate and misleading information, including about the physical and psychological effects of abortion.

While the Department of Public Health has no jurisdiction over unlicensed facilities, the Board of Registration in Nursing and the Board of Registration in Medicine each have regulations that set forth standards of conduct for nursing and physician practice by licensed clinical providers. Either board could take action on a licensed provider if there is evidence that the provider is engaged in conduct considered deceptive, inaccurate, or intentionally misleading.

Individuals in Massachusetts who are or may be pregnant and are looking to understand options for abortion or reproductive health care should consult with a licensed reproductive health care provider. Those who have concerns about the qualifications or safety of care delivered by a nurse or physician may file a formal complaint to initiate an investigation. The attorney general’s office also provides a process to raise concerns about a facility, whether or not it is licensed by the Department of Public Health or staffed by licensed nurses or physicians.

All individuals in Massachusetts should have accurate and honest information to help them make the right decisions about their reproductive care.

DR. ROBERT GOLDSTEIN Commissioner Massachusetts Department of Public Health Boston