Marking a win for reproductive justice, seizing funding for CPCs
The Department of Human Services’ contract with Real Alternatives will expire in December 2023, seizing funding for crisis pregnancy centers
Rep. La'Tasha D. Mayes August 4, 2023 | 3:31 PM
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 4 – With the Department of Human Services’ contract with Real Alternatives set to expire in December, Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes emphasized the contract’s expiration will help to protect reproductive health, rights and justice in Pennsylvania against right-wing extremists.
“Crisis pregnancy centers are deceptive organizations that operate under the guise of providing health care to pregnant individuals, but instead are sources of misinformation that delay access to reproductive health care,” Mayes said. “I applaud Governor Josh Shapiro for announcing that the contract with Real Alternatives, which partners with CPCs, will expire in 2023.”
As CPCs target marginalized communities with misinformation, Pennsylvania should not fund such predatory organizations with taxpayer dollars, she noted.
“CPCs are a risk to Pennsylvanians’ health, especially as CPCs often make misdiagnoses that risk the pregnant individual’s life, simply to advance right-wing extremists’ anti-abortion agenda,” she said. “With Roe v. Wade overturned and reproductive health, rights and justice under attack, it is time that we take a proactive approach so that pregnant individuals have the right to choose the health care decision that is right for them.”
Shapiro recently announced that the contract with Real Alternatives will expire Sunday, Dec. 31, ending DHS’ agreement with Real Alternatives after 28 years. The department will issue a Request for Applications to accept applications for women’s health services as allocated in the state’s budget for the current fiscal year.
“While the Senate amended the state’s budget to fund CPCs, the governor continues to protect reproductive health, rights and justice for Pennsylvanians,” Mayes said.
Abortion continues to remain safe, legal and accessible in Pennsylvania, she concluded.