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The WHO defines an infodemic as the proliferation of false/misleading information (which reduces adherence to evidence-based public health) particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic (WHO, 2022). Since 2020, much of the literature on health disinformation has focused on vaccination, while abortion remains an important but neglected area of investigation. Similarly, the abortion infodemic threatens access to full reproductive healthcare in Ireland and internationally (Pagoto et al, 2023).

For decades the media, activists and academics have exposed “crisis pregnancy organisations” for using mis/disinformation to dissuade or prevent people from choosing abortion (Coyne and Lumley, 2017; Coyne, 2018; Finn, 2007; Holland, 1999). Women and pregnant people who attend rogue agencies are often offered free pregnancy testing, counselling, or “information” regarding pregnancy options. However, evidence suggests that some centres provide “inaccurate or misleading information that may delay or interfere with access to abortion and contraceptive services” (Rosen, 2012). Their strategies include providing disinformation about abortion, pregnancy progression, and the reality of Irish and international laws (Farrell, 2005). Such practices raise important concerns regarding patient autonomy, informed consent, and equitable access to healthcare.

In the Independent Review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 O’Shea (2023) described the current regulatory framework as appearing to allow those who obstruct access to care through providing ‘misleading information’ to act ‘with impunity’. Farrell (2025) argues that legislation should be introduced to prohibit obstructive information practices such as denials of information or the provision of mis/disinformation. This research will address a clear knowledge gap by providing an overview of what and how disinformation is disseminated in Ireland. It will examine the extent of abortion health disinformation by investigating inaccurate or misleading claims on organisational websites, social media content, publications and media interviews, and other public communications. It will also include research on the experiences of service users of those who contacted rogue agencies and non-providing GPs and were met with non-referral or disinformation.

This paper will draw from research that has the following aims and objectives:

The research aim: to investigate abortion related disinformation across two strands:

  1. Deliberate non-referral practices and the dissemination of abortion disinformation by non-providing medical practitioners including GPs and hospital settings.
  2. The dissemination of abortion disinformation by CPCs/Rogue Agencies including online and digital disinformation.

research objectives:

  1. Identify and analyse the types of abortion-related information and claims disseminated by these actors.
  2. Assess the extent to which such content contains inaccurate, misleading, or scientifically unsupported claims when evaluated against established clinical and public health evidence.
  3. Examine the broader implications of disinformation for informed decision-making, patient autonomy, and timely access to abortion services.
  4. Develop recommendations for policy, regulation and practice aimed at minimizing the spread and impact of abortion disinformation.

The urgency of this research has been recognised at a national level within the 2023 Independent Review of the Health Act 2018 (O'Shea Report). This explicitly stated the need "to mitigate against risk of women encountering misinformation which may delay or preclude access to termination of pregnancy." However, there remains a notable lack of research examining the scale, content, and impact of disinformation. Addressing this evidence gap is essential for informing policy and safeguarding informed decision-making.