The Crisis of Crisis Pregnancy Centers: A Convening of Practitioners and Scholars on the Regulation of CPCs

Boston University School of Law
Friday, April 10, 2026

Join us for a day of interdisciplinary conversations about one of the most consequential—and least understood—forces shaping reproductive health care today. Crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) operate facilities with the primary aim of discouraging abortion while presenting themselves as neutral health care providers. Operating across the US for decades, often with state support, CPCs exist in every state and outnumber abortion providers 3 to 1, with a higher ratio in some places. CPCs have become increasingly more sophisticated, from targeted digital marketing to aesthetically tailoring their spaces to look like licensed reproductive care providers. CPCs have carefully navigated legal frameworks so they can operate outside traditional health care regulations and consumer protections.

In the post-Dobbs legal landscape, as states continue to restrict access to reproductive health care, understanding the growth and impact of CPCs on public health and reproductive health care is vital. Throughout the conference, we will examine how race, class, and other systems of marginalization intersect in countless ways—from where CPCs are strategically located to how care is delivered and who is disproportionately impacted. Understanding these dimensions is critical to addressing the barriers communities face in accessing reproductive health care. This conference brings together scholars, practitioners, health care providers, and advocates to examine CPCs, including how they operate and what their growing presence means for the future of reproductive health care. This event will explore urgent questions such as legal oversight, medical ethics, and patient safety.

The conference is a live event only, hosted by the Boston University Program on Reproductive Justice at BU School of Law. Registration is required to attend – please register to receive more details.

We thank Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and the Northeastern University School of Law for their support!