Unregulated pregnancy centres should not provide non-medical ultrasounds
For immediate release
The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC) has uncovered seven unregulated pregnancy centres (UPCs) across Canada that are offering recreational, non-diagnostic ultrasounds. This is a deeply concerning increase in the misuse of medical imaging equipment by organizations with no medical oversight or accountability.
ARCC’s position paper, Unregulated Pregnancy Centres and Sonography explains how the use of ultrasounds by UPCs may serve to mislead clients, spread misinformation, and interfere with informed reproductive decision-making.
“Ultrasound is a medical tool that should only be used under proper clinical supervision,” said Joyce Arthur, Executive Director of ARCC. “When anti-abortion centres use it recreationally as a non-diagnostic tool, it creates a dangerous illusion of medical legitimacy. Clients may be falsely reassured about the health of a pregnancy or be discouraged from seeking real medical care. This puts pregnant people’s health and safety at risk.”
Many unregulated pregnancy centres, also known as “crisis pregnancy centres,” pose as legitimate healthcare providers, when in reality they are “fake clinics” run by anti-choice groups that employ a range of manipulative practices aimed at discouraging people experiencing unplanned pregnancies from choosing abortion. By offering ultrasounds, these centres exploit the trust of people in vulnerable situations seeking unbiased pregnancy information or support. The use of ultrasound machines without medical regulation or oversight also raises serious privacy, ethical, and safety concerns.
ARCC’s research found that some UPCs promote recreational ultrasound sessions, often called “keepsake ultrasounds,” as a way to let clients “see their baby.” Such uses are discouraged by Health Canada and professional medical bodies, which warn against unnecessary fetal exposure and stress the importance of valid medical reasons for all ultrasound imaging. Other UPCs provide non-diagnostic “point of care” ultrasounds, but these are still recreational ultrasounds done by agencies that are not accredited and have no obligation to adhere to best medical practices or medical ethics. For example, clients accessing services at these centres will be refused a referral for an abortion if they need one.
“This is not a benign issue of community service,” added Arthur. “It’s part of a broader pattern of manipulation. These centres use the emotional power of ultrasound imagery to influence clients’ decisions and advance an anti-choice agenda. Governments must act to prohibit unregulated ultrasound use and hold these centres accountable.”
Dr. Boris Henriquez of the Community and Choice Clinic in Edmonton said: “As someone who has seen how tightly ultrasound use is regulated in legitimate medical settings, it’s alarming that these unregulated centres can operate without any oversight. Regulation is important to safeguard the patient’s health as this ensures the information communicated to patients is from an expert. If not, patients may get health information that is incomplete at best, or worse, grossly misleading or false. Beyond the health risks, it’s a betrayal of public trust – people deserve accurate, evidence-based reproductive health information – free of bias or pressure.”
ARCC urges federal and provincial governments to:
- Prohibit non-diagnostic and recreational use of ultrasound equipment by unregulated or non-accredited agencies.
- Ensure that all sonography services are delivered under the supervision of qualified medical professionals in a regulated or accredited facility.
- Increase oversight of unregulated pregnancy centres that offer medical care to prevent deceptive and unsafe practices.
— 30 —
Joyce Arthur (she/her), Executive Director, ARCC-CDAC, Vancouver. joyce@arcc-cdac.ca, 604-351-0867
Dr. Boris Henriquez (he/him, speaks Spanish), Community and Choice Reproductive Health Clinic, Edmonton. bghenriqu@gmail.com, 778-928-8593
Our resources on unregulated pregnancy centres (UPCs)
- Position Paper: Unregulated Pregnancy Centres and Sonography
- Compiled research: All UPCs in Canada with medical services (Google doc)
- 2023 Study: Examining the Websites of Anti-Choice “Crisis Pregnancy Centres”
- List of Unregulated Pregnancy Centres
- Tool: How to Identify Fake Clinics
- Have you visited a UPC? Share your UPC story
- Brochure: Beware of Unregulated Pregnancy Centres
