Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) Exposed

Hands hold a positive pregnancy test

A Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC), also known as “fake ‘womens’ health clinics,” are run by anti-choice organizations. Their goal is to intimidate, mislead, and shame people into keeping their pregnancy or lie about services to delay them beyond the deadline for legal abortion. CPC workers often pose as healthcare workers but often have no medical training.

Do NOT share your information with them. Beware using any service they offer since they are often not bound by confidentiality because they are not real medical providers.

If you, or someone you know is need of care, find trusted sources here: AbortionFinder.org.

There are currently more than three dozen known CPCs across Iowa. A complete list is below, but for a national map, please visit: crisispregnacycentermap.com.

Here are some tips from Planned Parenthood’s “What are Crisis Pregnancy Centers?” on how to spot fake clinics:

  • It’s listed online or on map apps as a pregnancy resource center, pregnancy help center, pregnancy care center, women’s resource center, or abortion alternatives.
  • They advertise free pregnancy tests, abortion counseling, pre-abortion screenings, abortion education, post-abortion care, or after-abortion help — but they refuse to help you get an abortion.
  • They advertise “abortion pill reversal” or say you can “reverse” an abortion. (This isn’t true — you can’t reverse an abortion.)
  • They say abortion is unsafe, or that it leads to cancer, infertility, or mental health problems. (This isn’t true — abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. ​The rate of major complications is less than 1%, and it’s safer than getting your wisdom teeth taken out. Abortion also doesn’t increase your risk for cancer, infertility, or mental health problems.)
  • They say negative things about abortion, birth control, condoms, or sex.
  • They don’t provide condoms or other effective birth control methods like the pill, patch, ring, shot, IUD, or implant — if they do offer birth control services, it’s usually only the fertility awareness method.
  • They try to pressure you into continuing a pregnancy, or placing your future baby for adoption.
  • They try to talk about religion even when you don’t want to.
  • They say judgmental things about sex before marriage, single parenting, LGBTQ+ people, or people of color.
  • They offer items like clothes, diapers, and bottles, but you have to go to lectures and workshops from the CPC to “earn” them.

Knowledge is power. Spread the word and help keep others from being misled about their choices.

Comprehensive list of CPCs in Iowa: all known open and operating fake clinics. 

Northern Iowa:

  • Caring Pregnancy Center
    • 830 15th St SW Unit #1, Mason City, IA 50401
  • Hope For Life Pregnancy Center
    •  705 N Main St #3, Charles City, IA 50616
  • Birthright
    • 605 Grand Ave, Spencer, IA 51301
  • Birthright
    •  4113 University Ave, Cedar Falls, IA 50613
  • Lighthouse Center of Hope
    • 409 Washington Ave, Iowa Falls, IA 50126
  • Alternatives Pregnancy Center
    • 1006 Decathlon Dr, Waterloo, IA 50701
  • Cornerstone for Life
    • 800 Oneida St Suite 4, Storm Lake, IA 50588
  • Her Health
    • 25 Plymouth St W, Le Mars, IA 51031
  • Her Health
    • 5732 Sunnybrook Dr, Sioux City, IA 51106
  • Mary’s Choice
    • 4415 Stone Ave, Sioux City, IA 51106

Eastern Iowa:

  • Bridgehaven Pregnancy Support Center
    • 4250 Glass Rd NE Suite 100, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
  • Birthright
    • 375 Collins Rd NE # 107, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
  • Birthright
    • 341 E College St, Iowa City, Ia 52240
  • Informed Choices
    • 821 S Gilbert St, Iowa City, IA 52240
  • The Pregnancy Center
    • 240 N Bluff Blvd, Clinton, IA 52732
  • Pregnancy Resources
    • 2706 W Central Park Ave, Davenport, IA 52804
  • Women’s Choice Center of the Quad Cities
    • 2740 Happy Joe Dr, Bettendorf, IA 52722

Central Iowa:

  • Alpha Women’s Center
    • 114 SW State St, Ankeny, IA 50023
  • Obria Medical Clinic
    • 1606 Golden Aspen Dr STE 105, Ames, Iowa 50010
  • Alpha Women’s Center
    • 3605 SE 14th St, Des Moines, IA 50320
  • Agape Pregnancy Center
    • 2550 Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy, Des Moines, IA 50310
  • Intervisions
    • 500 Army Post Rd STE 100, Des Moines, IA 50315
    •  1355 50th St #400, West Des Moines, IA 50266
  • LC Clinic
    • 212 S Division Street, Stuart, IA 50250
  • The Growing Place
    • 408 S 11th St, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
  • Pathways
    • 703 Main St, Pella, IA 50219
  • Birthright
    •  111 E Marion St, Knoxville, IA 50138

Southern Iowa:

  • Pregnancy Center of SW Iowa
    • 101 E Reed St, Red Oak, IA 51566
  • LC Clinic
    • 1109 Sumner St, Creston, IA 50801
  • Heartland Pregnancy Center
    •  101 S Market St # 302, Ottumwa, IA 52501
  • Hope Pregnancy Center
    • 118 N 12th St, Centerville, IA 52544
  • Birthright
    • 629 Blondeau, Keokuk, IA 52632
  • Cradle of Hope
    • 503 22nd St, Ft. Madison, IA 52627
  • Cradle of Hope
    • 1400 E Washington St, Mt Pleasant, IA 52641
  • Cradle of Hope
    • 400 Highland St, Fairfield, IA 52556
  • Informed Choices
    • 1013 S Central Ave, Burlington, IA 52601
  • Birthright
    • 1113 S Main St, Burlington, IA 52601

Western Iowa:

  • Gabriel’s Corner
    •  131 S 16th St, Council Bluffs, IA 51501
  • Birthright
    • 427 E Kanesville Blvd # 303, Council Bluffs, IA 51503