{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T20:50:25Z","timestamp":1792788625912,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,5]],"date-time":"2025-06-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1749081600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Anonymous"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Given the prevalence of inaccurate or misleading health messaging linked to crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) in the literature, we sought to understand what role, if any, standardized training materials might play in perpetuating common themes in reproductive health misinformation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Study design<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We identified inaccurate health messages present in qualitative interviews with 10 staff members from 8 CPCs in Ohio. Separately, we conducted a content analysis of training manuals from two parent organizations, Care Net and Heartbeat International, to understand the form and substance of inaccurate health information messages in official CPC training materials. We compared the content of the two data sources to identify themes common to both, representing both individual and institutional level dissemination of false health messages.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We found that parent organizations provide false and misleading information in their training materials, often presenting such information as factually true or accurate. In interviews with a self-identified researcher, CPC staff relayed similar inaccurate health messages about the dangers of abortion and contraception, efficacy of condoms, and causes of infertility, strongly endorsing this false information. As an incidental finding, we documented enthusiasm for dissemination of inaccurate health information by CPC staff members who engage in public outreach and education.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We found clear similarities in the inaccurate health messages provided by staff to researchers and the official training documents published by the CPC parent organizations. Parent organizations, therefore, may represent a potent source of reproductive health misinformation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0325740","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,5]],"date-time":"2025-06-05T13:37:57Z","timestamp":1749130677000},"page":"e0325740","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Examining the inaccurate reproductive health messaging of crisis pregnancy centers: A comparative qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3154-6068","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Evangeline","family":"Warren","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6432-8107","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Alexandra","family":"Kissling","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alison H.","family":"Norris","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Priya R.","family":"Gursahaney","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria F.","family":"Gallo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,5]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0325740.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"124","DOI":"10.1177\/00027162221087686","article-title":"Reducing health misinformation in science: a call to arms","volume":"700","author":"B Swire-Thompson","year":"2022","journal-title":"Ann Am Acad Pol Soc Sci"},{"key":"pone.0325740.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"433","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-publhealth-040119-094127","article-title":"Public health and online misinformation: challenges and recommendations","volume":"41","author":"B Swire-Thompson","year":"2020","journal-title":"Annu Rev Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0325740.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-publhealth-071321-031118","article-title":"Health misinformation exposure and health disparities: observations and opportunities","volume":"44","author":"BG Southwell","year":"2023","journal-title":"Annu Rev Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0325740.ref004","author":"Center for Countering Digital Hate","year":"2021"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0325740.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"277","DOI":"10.1111\/birt.12167","article-title":"What are VBAC women seeking and sharing? 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A systematic review of individual differences in susceptibility to health misinformation","volume":"314","author":"X Nan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Soc Sci Med"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0325740.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1016\/j.whi.2016.12.014","article-title":"State-mandated (mis)information and women\u2019s endorsement of common abortion myths","volume":"27","author":"NF Berglas","year":"2017","journal-title":"Women\u2019s Health Issues"},{"key":"pone.0325740.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.2307\/j.ctv11hpv1q","volume-title":"The pro-life pregnancy help movement: serving women or saving babies?","author":"LS Hussey","year":"2020"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0325740.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1533","DOI":"10.1086\/691127","article-title":"Plausibility structures, status threats, and the establishment of anti-abortion pregnancy centers","volume":"122","author":"R McVeigh","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am J Sociol"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0325740.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1016\/j.whi.2017.10.007","article-title":"Sexual and reproductive health services and related health information on pregnancy resource center websites: a statewide content analysis","volume":"28","author":"A Swartzendruber","year":"2018","journal-title":"Women\u2019s Health Issues"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0325740.ref023","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1363\/psrh.12131","article-title":"Pregnant women\u2019s reasons for and experiences of visiting antiabortion pregnancy resource centers","volume":"52","author":"K Kimport","year":"2020","journal-title":"Perspect Sex Reprod Health"},{"key":"pone.0325740.ref024","article-title":"I felt like I was a bad person\u2026 which I\u2019m not\u201d: stigmatization in crisis pregnancy centers","author":"E Warren","year":"2022","journal-title":"SSM - Qual Res Health"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0325740.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"469","DOI":"10.1016\/j.contraception.2015.08.003","article-title":"Toll free but not judgment free: evaluating postabortion support services in Ontario","volume":"92","author":"KJ LaRoche","year":"2015","journal-title":"Contraception"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0325740.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"821","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jadohealth.2019.08.008","article-title":"Crisis pregnancy centers in the U.S.: lack of adherence to medical and ethical practice standards - a joint position statement","volume":"65","author":"Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Adolesc Health"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0325740.ref027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.3109\/13625187.2011.570883","article-title":"Misinformation on abortion","volume":"16","author":"S Rowlands","year":"2011","journal-title":"Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care"},{"key":"pone.0325740.ref028","author":"Care Net","year":"2019"},{"key":"pone.0325740.ref029","author":"Center for Reproductive Rights","year":"2024"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0325740.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1363\/psrh.12191","article-title":"How Ohio\u2019s proposed abortion bans would impact travel distance to access abortion care","volume":"54","author":"P Chakraborty","year":"2022","journal-title":"Perspect Sex Reprod Health"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0325740.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"328","DOI":"10.1016\/j.contraception.2021.02.006","article-title":"Use of nonpreferred contraceptive methods among women in Ohio","volume":"103","author":"P Chakraborty","year":"2021","journal-title":"Contraception"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0325740.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1024","DOI":"10.1080\/13691058.2022.2116489","article-title":"Free, but at what cost? 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Findings from a prospective longitudinal cohort study","volume":"6","author":"MA Biggs","year":"2016","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"issue":"15","key":"pone.0325740.ref038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.1992.03490150130038","article-title":"The myth of the abortion trauma syndrome","volume":"268","author":"NL Stotland","year":"1992","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0325740.ref039","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1652","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/dem051","article-title":"The length of the fertile window is associated with the chance of spontaneously conceiving an ongoing pregnancy in subfertile couples","volume":"22","author":"MJ Keulers","year":"2007","journal-title":"Hum Reprod"},{"key":"pone.0325740.ref040","volume-title":"Contraception is not abortion: the strategic campaign of antiabortion groups to persuade the public otherwise","author":"J Dreweke","year":"2014"},{"key":"pone.0325740.ref041","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.2147\/OAJC.S135439","article-title":"Contraceptive use and the risk of sexually transmitted infection: systematic review and current perspectives","volume":"9","author":"J Deese","year":"2018","journal-title":"OAJC"},{"key":"pone.0325740.ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2013.11.030","article-title":"The spread of \u201cPost Abortion Syndrome\u201d as social diagnosis","volume":"102","author":"K Kelly","year":"2014","journal-title":"Soc Sci Med"},{"key":"pone.0325740.ref043","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.15620\/cdc:113967","volume-title":"Maternal mortality rates in the United States, 2020","author":"D Hoyert","year":"2022"},{"key":"pone.0325740.ref044","volume-title":"Maternal mortality maternity care US compared 10 other countries","author":"R Tikkanen","year":"2020"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0325740.ref045","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"383","DOI":"10.1016\/j.contraception.2021.05.011","article-title":"Who attends a crisis pregnancy center in Ohio?","volume":"104","author":"R Rice","year":"2021","journal-title":"Contraception"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0325740.ref046","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"423","DOI":"10.1007\/s11133-018-9392-0","article-title":"Racial reconciliation or spiritual smokescreens?: Blackwashing the crisis pregnancy center movement","volume":"41","author":"K Kelly","year":"2018","journal-title":"Qual Sociol"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0325740.ref047","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"604","DOI":"10.1080\/03630242.2024.2392140","article-title":"Crisis management: pathways to crisis pregnancy centers","volume":"64","author":"A Kissling","year":"2024","journal-title":"Women Health"},{"key":"pone.0325740.ref048","author":"A Swartzendruber","year":"2025"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0325740","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,5]],"date-time":"2025-06-05T13:38:06Z","timestamp":1749130686000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0325740"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Ajaya","family":"Bhattarai","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,5]]},"references-count":48,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,5]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0325740","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,5]]}}}