The Pregnancy Help Center bus is enormous and colorful, complete with a picture of a somber young woman and the phrase "Pregnant? We Can Help!"
Further down the side, it advertises free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds. The new mobile unit made its first stop in Fulton on Wednesday.
"This has been part of our plan for a long time," PHC Assistant Director Audrea George said.
Meanwhile, an area doctor has said that some of the information being presented by the mobile unit is erroneous.
George said a few women stopped by for the ultrasounds and others for more information about PHC. George said she was pleased with the turnout and that PHC plans to return to Fulton monthly.
The faith-based nonprofit from Jefferson City offers parenting classes, peer counseling and referrals to other agencies.
"There can be a gap in services for clients we work for," George said. "Many of them don't have insurance or a primary care provider. We talk to them as far as what their concerns are, what their worries are, what they need help with. There's a lot of resources in Callaway County."
Through the pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, PHC can provide clients with proof of pregnancy so they can sign up for Medicaid, she added.
A licensed nurse herself, George said only trained nurses perform PHC's ultrasounds. PHC is not classed as a medical clinic and is not subject to HIPAA, but George said the organization conforms to HIPAA because it's in clients' best interest.
PHC is funded through donors, including several churches, but is not affiliated with a particular denomination, George said.
Pro-life viewpoint
PHC's client-facing website, phcjeffersoncity.com, makes no mention of faith or any particular stance on abortion. It lists "abortion" under the drop-down "My Options" menu.
George confirmed PHC does not offer referrals to abortion services.
"We give them the information and let them decide," she said. "This is their choice."
PHC's website for donors and supporters, friendsofphc.org, clarifies the organization's stance.
Its stated mission is "to empower individuals to make healthy, life-affirming decisions consistent with the sanctity of human life as created by God." Its vision is "a community that recognizes every human life as created by God, sacred and valued."
PHC is an affiliate of Heartbeat International, described on heartbeatinternational.org as "the first network of pro-life pregnancy resource centers."
Materials distributed by PHC also reflect a particular viewpoint.
The pamphlet about abortion comes from Care Net, a large network of crisis pregnancy centers. Care Net's home page asks visitors to sign a pledge stating "I am a follower of Christ who stands for the unborn!"
PHC's volunteer-facing site says the organization provides "medical and scientific information about abortion, pregnancy, fetal development, pregnancy termination (and) post-abortion syndrome."
However, the Care Net pamphlet on abortion contains misinformation about risks associated with abortions, according to an OB/GYN.
The other side
Dr. Colleen McNicholas, a fellow with the the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and associate professor at Washington University, fact-checked a few of the pamphlet's claims.
The Care Net pamphlet stated "most studies conducted so far show a significant linkage between abortion and breast cancer." It specifically cites a 1994 study by the National Cancer Institute that found a correlation between abortions and breast cancer.
"It is absolutely false," McNicholas said. "There is no credible data to suggest that that's true."
Today, the NCI states there is no association between induced abortion and breast cancer. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist agrees, calling earlier studies "flawed."
Care Net's pamphlet also claims abortions may impact fertility and make women more like to miscarry in the future.
"In the first trimester, an uncomplicated abortion - there's no associated risk of infertility or early delivery," McNicholas said. "Later in pregnancy, there is some data, not conclusive, to suggest that you may deliver earlier than you usually would have."
The pamphlet does list some real risks associated with abortion, such as infection and heavy bleeding. However, context is missing.
"In term of both complications and the risk of death, it is much lower if you terminate than if you (carry to term)," McNicholas said. "One of the real success stories about legalizing abortions is that the maternal mortality rate (involving abortions) is incredibly rare."
The pamphlet stated fewer than 20 maternal deaths per year are caused by abortions (out of about 650,000 abortions per year, going by the Centers for Disease Control's 2014 figures), which McNicholas said sounds high. Meanwhile, the 2015 maternal mortality rate for the U.S. was 26.4 in 100,000, or about 172 per 650,000.
Mothers are warned terminating a pregnancy may lead to "Post-Abortive Stress," a condition that is not recognized by either the American Psychiatric Association or the American Psychological Association.
McNicholas, who provides abortions at clinics around the Midwest, finds the spreading of misinformation frustrating. She said women deserve to know accurate information when making healthcare decisions.
"When you're purporting you want to improve the health and quality of care women give, yet you center deceitful facts I think it really does a disservice to women," she said.
PHC does offer resources and referrals centered around parenthood and adoption. Volunteers also support clients in signing up for Medicaid.
"We have women come in that are wondering if they're pregnant and just needing some assistance," George said. "This is brand-new information for them, and they just need to know where to start."