If you search for a pregnancy test or STI testing in Bellingham, you’ll find plenty of options, but not all of them are actually there to help you.
Amir Singh, a former student at Western Washington University, walked into what seemed to be a medical clinic expecting routine care. Instead, he faced questioning that felt more like an interrogation than a medical consultation.
“They weren’t just asking for medical reasons — it felt like they were judging my choices,” Singh said. “It stopped feeling like a clinic and more like they were trying to lecture me.”
At that moment, he realized he wasn’t in a clinic, anything like Planned Parenthood — he was in a crisis pregnancy center.
Crisis Pregnancy Centers often position themselves as a first stop for people facing an unplanned pregnancy or wanting STD/STI testing, framing their services as medical support. In reality, most operate outside the standards and oversight that govern actual health care providers.
“Some crisis pregnancy clinics are not actually clinics at all and often don’t have medical staff,” said Liz Stuart, the assistant director of health promotion at Western. “They might offer a pregnancy test and what they call ‘pregnancy counseling,’ but they often limit the full spectrum of options available — especially abortion care.”
Many Crisis pregnancy centers use misleading language and appearances to look like full-service providers, leaving patients confused and vulnerable at a critical moment.
Stuart said those tactics can blur the line between legitimate medical care and ideological messaging, creating openings for misinformation. That confusion becomes especially dangerous when patients assume they’re receiving medical professional-based advice.
Meg, a former traveling medical assistant with Planned Parenthood, who asked that her last name be withheld for fear of reprisal, described the potential risks they have seen when patients visit unlicensed medical clinics.
“People are being given false information like hearing about heartbeat or cardiac activity at four weeks, which just isn’t true,” Meg said. “These centers use guilt and shame and push their own agenda rather than actually providing reproductive health services.”
Patients are sometimes misled about how far along they are — a misunderstanding that can limit what Planned Parenthood can provide, according to Meg.
“We have people coming from surrounding states to say they are eight weeks pregnant, but after ultrasound, they’re actually 15 weeks. That takes away their agency to make choices about their own bodies,” Meg said.
College students are particularly vulnerable, often seeking reproductive health care alone for the first time and without a strong support system. This makes them more susceptible to misinformation from crisis pregnancy centers posing as legitimate clinics.
For those in need, WWU’s Office of Health Promotion and Resilience works to make reproductive health care accessible and safe. They offer free health supplies, including condoms, dental dams and Plan B — both on campus and by mail.
“Students are in charge of their own body and their own learning about their body,” Stuart said. “It’s important to access good, accurate, comprehensive information.”
With only one Planned Parenthood in Whatcom County and multiple CPCs, the difference between accurate medical care and misinformation is stark. Prioritize trustworthy, medically sound resources.
“Go check out the Planned Parenthood website,” said Meg. “Become educated on STIs. Most are treatable. It’s going to be okay.”
Devin Green (He/They) is a third-year Journalism major and Opinion reporter for The Front this quarter. When he is not double-emailing interviewees, Devin is community organizing, reading or sleeping. You can reach them at devingreen.thefront@gmail.com.
