CPCs Claim to ‘Rule Out’ Ectopic Pregnancies, Experts Warn
Crisis pregnancy centers across the United States are advertising that they can “rule out” ectopic pregnancies — a claim that medical experts say is medically impossible and potentially life-threatening, according to an exclusive NPR investigation published Wednesday. The watchdog group Campaign for Accountability has identified 100 examples across 49 states of crisis pregnancy centers using language on their websites suggesting they can diagnose or rule out ectopic pregnancies, a condition that requires multiple blood tests and ultrasounds over time to properly diagnose.
The Medical Reality
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, most commonly in a fallopian tube. It affects 1% to 2% of all pregnancies in the United States, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. If left untreated, the fallopian tube can rupture, causing internal bleeding that can be fatal.
The critical problem, medical experts emphasize, is that a single ultrasound cannot determine whether a pregnancy is ectopic. Proper diagnosis requires monitoring HCG levels through multiple blood tests and conducting multiple ultrasounds over time — care that crisis pregnancy centers are not equipped to provide.
“Do not advertise, ‘We can rule out an ectopic,’” advised Anne O’Connor, Vice President of Legal Affairs at the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), the legal arm of the crisis pregnancy center movement, in a 2025 webinar. “We really don’t like to see that language because it is near impossible to rule out an ectopic.”
Watchdog Demands Investigation
On June 24, Campaign for Accountability sent a letter to New York Attorney General Letitia James requesting an investigation into whether crisis pregnancy centers in New York are fraudulently advertising about their ability to diagnose ectopic pregnancies. The letter, shared exclusively with NPR, warns that these claims may cause women to forgo comprehensive medical care, resulting in grievous bodily injury.
“They were told that their pregnancies were viable or told that everything was fine,” said Michelle Kuppersmith, executive director of Campaign for Accountability. “And then later they found themselves in the hospital with an ectopic pregnancy that was not diagnosed by the crisis pregnancy center.”
Real-World Harm
The investigation highlights cases in Texas and Massachusetts where women suffered life-threatening complications after crisis pregnancy centers missed ectopic pregnancies.
In Texas, Kaylee Hall visited Abundant Life Pregnancy Resource Center in Athens, where she was told her pregnancy was intrauterine and healthy. Three days later, she was in emergency surgery for an ectopic pregnancy. The center’s OB-GYN, Dr. Lourell Sutliff, told the Dallas Morning News that the sonograms were performed “for educational purposes only” and that “there is nothing to fix.”
“I quite literally don’t think I would’ve made it to Monday alive,” Hall told the Dallas Morning News. “My daughter could’ve not had a mom.”
In Massachusetts, a class-action lawsuit was filed in 2023 against Clearway Clinic in Worcester, alleging failure to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy, resulting in a ruptured fallopian tube and emergency surgery. The case settled in June 2024 without admission of liability, as NBC News reported.
A Regulatory Gray Area
There are approximately 2,500 crisis pregnancy centers across the United States, according to a Government Accountability Office estimate. These nonprofit organizations, often faith-based, aim to dissuade women from having abortions. They offer free services such as pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and parenting classes, but do not provide abortion services, abortion referrals, or comprehensive contraception.
Crucially, crisis pregnancy centers are not licensed as medical facilities in most states, meaning there is no clear agency responsible for regulating them. Many are staffed by volunteers who may or may not have medical training, and some wear scrubs or white coats to appear as medical clinics.
Dr. Jonas Swartz, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke Health, told NPR that telemedicine abortion with medication abortion has been shown to be safe even without ultrasound. He noted that people who reach out to crisis pregnancy centers are often in crisis and need help — and the best place for that help would be a regulated medical facility with trained professionals.
Political and Financial Context
The investigation comes as the Trump administration’s Moms.gov website, launched on Mother’s Day 2026, directs women to crisis pregnancy centers. A 50-state investigation found that 21 states sent nearly $491 million in taxpayer money to crisis pregnancy centers between 2022 and 2025, with little oversight, according to States Newsroom.
NIFLA has internally acknowledged the risks for years. A 2018 document titled “Medical Policies and Procedures” advised centers that patients with symptoms of ectopic pregnancy should not be offered an ultrasound and should be immediately referred to medical care. A 2025 NIFLA presentation slide deck titled “Bonding: The Impact of Prenatal Ultrasound” advised attendees on “words to avoid for legal risk reduction” during an ultrasound, listing: “good,” “fine,” “OK,” “normal,” and “perfect.”
What’s Next
Campaign for Accountability has indicated it may send more letters to attorneys general in other states. The question remains whether state and federal authorities will take action to regulate the medical claims made by crisis pregnancy centers — and whether the centers themselves will heed their own legal organization’s warnings before more women are harmed.
“We’re hoping that by continuing to expose this issue, that there will be additional attention to it, and that perhaps these centers will do the right thing and stop trying to make claims to women about things that they can’t actually do,” Kuppersmith said.
As for Kaylee Hall, she and her doctor have filed complaints with the Texas Medical Board. She worries about the other patients she saw at the center on the day of her inaccurate ultrasound — and whether they were as lucky as she was.