Deception from Conception?: Inside Iowa City’s Informed Choices clinic
Written May 13th, 2025 University of Iowa's Reporting & Writing course (JMC:2010)
Around 4,000 exist across the country, but the term “crisis pregnancy center” is unfamiliar to most Americans. Though the term has become more widely used, many organizations reject the label "crisis pregnancy center." Critics argue that these organizations exist primarily to discourage abortion, while supporters say they provide information and resources to pregnant women.
The Informed Choices clinic has stood in Iowa City since 2007 and shares the goal, but you might find it hard to tell. Critics say this is by design.
What are Crisis Pregnancy Centers?
Crisis pregnancy centers, or CPCs, are organizations that present as typical reproductive health care clinics but operate with the aim to convince people not to seek abortions, according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists.
Many CPCs have religious affiliations and have faced criticism from medical organizations regarding reproductive health information and counseling practices, according to the AMA Journal of Ethics. Nonetheless, their numbers continue to grow nationwide.
According to a study by Planned Parenthood, around 4,000 CPCs operate in the U.S., far outnumbering the 765 brick-and-mortar abortion providers in the nation, as reported by the Guttmacher Institute.
In 2024, The Des Moines Register estimated the number of CPCs in Iowa to be around 55. Meanwhile, only two clinics in the state – Iowa City’s Emma Goldman clinic and Ames’s Planned Parenthood center – provide abortions, according to NBC News.
In recent years, Iowa’s debate about CPCs has only grown more heated after a controversial program sent taxpayer money toward several of the organizations.
The More Options for Maternal Support, or MOMS, program was established in 2022 by the Republican-led Iowa legislature to allocate funds to “empower women and protect children,” according to a state Department of Health and Human Services press release.
Since 2022, more than $2 million has been given to CPCs across the state, including Iowa City’s Informed Choices clinic.
Informed Choices Clinic of Iowa City
Informed Choices firmly rejects the characterization that it is a crisis pregnancy center.
“We’re an actual accredited medical clinic,” said Michael Fanning, director of Informed Choices. He notes that all of their services are evidence-based, and that the clinic is certified by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). This accreditation, he emphasizes, is the same certification that the University of Iowa’s Student Health Center holds.
The accreditation does distinguish Informed Choices from many crisis pregnancy centers, which are not required to maintain medical accreditation for most services, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Still, some experts say the clinic fits the CPC mold.
“Of course they’re a crisis pregnancy center,” said Dr. Natalie Fixmer-Oraiz, a professor of gender, women’s and sexuality studies at the University of Iowa. “They can claim to be whatever they want but…they’re part of a network of clinics that exist to deter people seeking abortion care.”
Both Dr. Fixmer-Oraiz and Francine Thompson, executive director of the Emma Goldman clinic in Iowa City, said the language used by Informed Choices, like “decision-making,” “information [about abortion],” and “free services” is purposely confusing to people seeking care.
When it comes to abortion, Fanning said that most women coming through Informed Choices are not confused and know what they are coming in for. “We’re upfront about who we are and what we do.”
It’s true that the Informed Choices website states that it doesn't make referrals for abortion or birth control. The information appears near the bottom of the FAQ section, making it less prominent than descriptions of pregnancy-related services. The website contains substantially more information about pregnancy-related services, including pre-abortion screenings and post-abortion support.
Despite this disclaimer, the clarity of the website’s abortion stance is still debatable.
The website’s second link reads “Abortion Info: Get a pre-termination evaluation and discuss your options in a supportive environment.” Critics argue that the phrase “discuss your options” is misleading, as the clinic will, under no circumstances, refer someone to receive abortion services, according to Fanning.
The Informed Choices site also notes that the pre-termination appointments will “assist you with questions and confirm your pregnancy's viability and gestational age—all things required before scheduling an abortion appointment.” However, this last bit of information is misleading.
While it’s true that an evaluation of a pregnancy is required before receiving abortion care, an evaluation at Informed Choices would not satisfy the requirement.
The Emma Goldman clinic in Iowa City is one of three clinics that provide abortion in the state of Iowa. Executive Director Francine Thompson said that Emma Goldman’s evaluations are done in-house, and an Informed Choices evaluation would not be accepted there.
Informed Choices does offer a handful of non-pregnancy-related services, including STI testing, cervical cancer screenings, and healthy relationship coaching. However, the majority of people they see are there for pregnancy services, Fanning said.
The clinic identifies as faith-based, though references to its religious affiliation are more prominent on the broader Informed Choice Iowa website than on the clinic's primary website.
Since opening its doors in 2007, Informed Choices has received both backlash and support from the Iowa City community.
In 2022, The Daily Iowan reported that the clinic's sign was vandalized during a “Night of Rage” protest. This April, the University of Iowa’s conservative student group “Young Americans for Freedom” hosted a donation drive for the clinic during its speaker event with conservative personality Elisha Krauss.
Fanning said the clinic served hundreds of visitors in 2024 and is on track to double that number in 2025. It is currently unknown whether the MOMS program funding will renew in the future.