The Charity Commission said it might intervene after a BBC Panorama programme last month showed “crisis pregnancy centres” run by charities that were offering misleading medical advice.
Crisis pregnancy centres are organisations outside the NHS that offer advice to those with unplanned pregnancies, some of which are registered charities.
The BBC Panorama investigation broadcast on 27 February identified that of 57 centres identified, 21 gave “misleading medical information and/or unethical advice” in order to dissuade women from having abortions.
It contacted the Charity Commission for England and Wales, which told Civil Society News it is “assessing the information”.
BBC Panorama investigation
Seven centres featured in the Panorama investigation said having a termination could lead to “post-abortion syndrome” which is not recognised by the NHS, eight centres linked abortion to infertility and problems carrying future pregnancies to term, and five centres linked abortion to an increased risk of breast cancer.
The NHS says having an abortion does not increase the risk of breast cancer, infertility, or mental health problems.
Some of the centres that featured in the documentary included “advancement of religion” among their charitable aims.
Crossroads Crisis Pregnancy Centre in Harrow, is a registered charity. An undercover reporter told a counsellor she was three weeks pregnant, and asked what an abortion would involve at that stage. The counsellor replied: “The baby is waiting for the pill to kill it and to get rid of it.”
She added: “There is no kind of safe thing because women have had the abortion and some will bleed to death, and all sorts of things happen.”
Crossroads Pregnancy Advice Centre did not respond to request for comment.
BBC’s programme also investigated the Tyneside Pregnancy Advice Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne, a registered charity.
The reporter was handed a leaflet which said “avoidance of children” was a psychological risk.
It has posted a response on its website, which reads: “TPAC has a 14-year track record of compliance with all of its regulatory obligations. Over 1,200 women have benefitted from the work of our staff and volunteers.”
Regulators looking into crisis centres
A Charity Commission spokesperson said: “A charity should be a safe and trusted environment. Panorama has highlighted experiences of women accessing counselling services offered by charities that could raise regulatory concerns for the Commission and we are assessing the information to determine any next steps.”
Following the programme, the National Secular Society (NSS) urged regulators in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland to review the charitable status of crisis pregnancy centres.
Stanton International is an influential anti-abortion group in America, where it has set up five crisis pregnancy centres. It also has a centre in Belfast called Stanton Healthcare – and was also featured in the documentary.
It is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, which is currently looking into some matters raised regarding Stanton Healthcare Belfast.
In letters to UK charity ministers, the NSS said it was “reasonable to conclude these organisations are seeking to dissuade women from having abortions due to religious beliefs”. It added that “it is difficult to see how they are acting in the public benefit”.
NSS campaigns officer Alejandro Sanchez said: “Women have a right to impartial, medically accurate advice when deciding whether to continue a pregnancy or not.”
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