About 20 protesters gathered on the sidewalk outside Hope Women’s Centers’ Fort Lauderdale clinic for about two hours on August 22 chanting, “Keep abortion legal” and holding signs opposing what they call “fake clinic lies.” The protesters are part of a movement taking root nationwide called #ExposeFakeClinics, which calls women’s health centers aka crisis pregnancy centers “fake” because they provide free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds and pregnancy support, but do not provide abortions.

Nancy McDonald, executive director of Hope Women’s Centers, said, “Unfortunately, this is the world we live in today. Instead of sitting down and having a discussion when we disagree, protests are staged. Half of our nation believes in abortion on demand with no apologies, while we hold a view that every life has value.”

The accusation that they are a “fake clinic,” McDonald said, “is patently false. We assure you we are fully credentialed to offer serves by all of the proper agencies in our state. Here’s the rub,” she added, “there are ‘fake clinics’ out there who have an ‘ends justify the means’ mentality and are not tied to national organizations who hold them to any standard of accountability.”

Hope Women’s Centers operates five State of Florida AHCA certified health clinics with a professional medical staff that includes registered nurses, registered diagnostic medical sonographers, referring physicians and a medical director, who help serve the needs of women and men faced with pregnancy decisions. According to McDonald, “Women can become overwhelmed by fear and confusion when they face an unplanned pregnancy. They need practical solutions, compassionate care and non-judgmental support during this difficult time.”

Hope Women’s Centers stand for life in the privacy of their clinics, speaking the truth in love to one woman at a time and trusting God to change the heart. They share the overarching message that “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” They provide practical services including a free pregnancy test confirming the pregnancy, options counseling via medically documented information, and a limited ultrasound confirming the gestational age and viability of pregnancy.