Alternatives Pregnancy Center’s full response to the “Safe Access to Protected Healthcare” package proposed by The Colorado General Assembly.
One of the three bills in this package is SB23-190 Prohibiting Deceptive Practices at Anti-Abortion Centers. The intent of this bill is to:
- Ban Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) treatment by Pregnancy Resource Centers
- Ban the advertising of Pregnancy Resource Centers
At the March 9, 2023 press conference announcing this package, our elected officials showed that they are willing to create laws that would end the choice of the thousands of teens, women and men who are served with high-quality medical and counseling care by Alternatives. Since none of the lawmakers took the time to visit one of our clinics, engage with our staff or invite us into a conversation about issues of concern, we will address their faulty and slanderous narrative here.
According to the SB23-190, “Pregnancy centers use manipulation and deception in advertising to influence people seeking reproductive healthcare.’”
Deceptive advertising is described as creating, using, or promoting any advertising material that is misleading, false or untruthful. All states currently have laws that prohibit deceptive advertising, and Alternatives abides by these laws as a 501(c)3 in the state of Colorado. We go to great lengths to make sure that all information from Alternatives is medically accurate and properly cited. We use standard marketing practices in all areas of our advertising. It is within our legal rights to compete in the marketplace to bring awareness of resources for people who are facing an unplanned pregnancy, searching to reverse an abortion decision, in need of STD testing and treatment or desiring support after an abortion. The U.S. Supreme Court recently affirmed this right in Nat’l Inst. of Family & Life Advocates v. Becerra, 138 S. Ct. 2361, 2372 (2018), which noted that states may not single out pregnancy centers for special and burdensome speech regulations. We are compelled to reach the people of our community because the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual well-being of our clients, patients, students and their children – born and preborn – depend on us to do so.
Therefore, Alternatives Pregnancy Center will continue with our current advertising and seek ways to expand it in every way possible. People in our community are then free to seek out our services or not.
According to the SB23-190, “Pregnancy Resources Centers ‘represent themselves as legitimate healthcare centers, but they are fake.’”
Alternatives is a faith-based, nonprofit, 501(c)3, that has served the Denver community with free and confidential medical services, counseling and education since 1982. Our programs and services are provided by a medical team of licensed registered nurses and RDMS (registered, diagnostic medical sonographers) that operate under Standing Orders and supervision from the Medical Director who is a licensed OB/GYN physician. The medical team also includes a licensed family medicine physician and physician’s assistant. Our counseling team made up of staff, interns and trained advocates, works under the direction and supervision of a Licensed Professional Counselor. We are HIPAA compliant and adhere to all state regulations.
Alternatives Pregnancy Center will continue to provide medical and counseling care at all clinic locations throughout the Denver area.
According to the SB23-190, “Pregnancy centers are ‘pushing dangerous, life-threatening procedures like Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) which are a threat to bodily autonomy.’”
Medication abortion has increased and so have the women who contact us wanting a second chance at choice! The Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) protocol is a safe, evidence-based treatment option that uses progesterone therapy to counter the effects of Mifepristone, the first pill in a series administered to complete a medication abortion. Women, making their own decisions, are seeking an option to attempt to continue their pregnancies and avoid the pain and trauma of an unwanted abortion. The APR protocol supports a patient’s autonomous right to discontinue a medical treatment when the effects of the treatment become undesirable. In this case, the patient no longer considers the termination of her pregnancy to be desirable, and APR can counter this process. From 2016 to 2022 Alternatives had 16 women contact our medical care team to start life-saving treatment for their embryo or fetus. These women completed the APR process and gave birth to healthy babies.
According to the SB23-190, “Pregnancy Resource Centers ‘offer free services to low-income people.’”
Our compassionate and qualified staff take pride in offering holistic care that addresses physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. All services are available to all people at no cost. We do not refer for or perform abortions; therefore, Alternatives receives no financial gain from a pregnancy decision. We do not discriminate against anyone on the basis of sex, race, color, ancestry, religious creed, national origin, physical disability (including HIV/AIDS), mental disability, medical condition, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status. We treat all people with dignity and respect.
Alternatives Pregnancy Center will continue to offer free and confidential services to anyone who comes to one of our clinics.
If you want to support Alternatives and those we serve, please contact your representatives and urge them to vote no on this bill. https://leg.colorado.gov/legislators
Also, contact the sponsors of the bill and let them know they are wrong about Alternatives Pregnancy Center and they need to rescind SB23-190 Prohibiting Deceptive Practices at Anti-Abortion Centers.
Senator Faith Winter
faith.winter.senate@coleg.gov
303-866-4863
Senator Janice Marchman
janice.marchman.senate@coleg.gov
303-866-4853
Representative Karen McCormick
karen.mccormick.house@coleg.gov
303-866-2780
Representative Elisabeth Epps
elisabeth.epps.house@coleg.gov
303-866-2911
Alternatives is open at each clinic location, providing free and confidential medical and counseling services to the teens, women and men who depend on us for safe, compassionate, holistic care. We will continue to fight for justice for all, including the preborn.
Thank you for your ongoing support of the life-saving mission of Alternatives. Together we will love and serve our community.
The Alternatives Team