Planned Parenthood tweeted on Tuesday about how it is safer for an African American woman to have an abortion than carry a fetus to term.
The country's largest abortion provider sent the tweet, apparently with the intention of getting into the "scary" Halloween spirit. "If you're a Black woman in America, it's statistically safer to have an abortion than to carry a pregnancy to term or give birth #ScaryStats," Planned Parenthood Black Community tweeted.
If you're a Black woman in America, it's statistically safer to have an abortion than to carry a pregnancy to term or give birth #ScaryStats
— Planned Parenthood Black Community (@PPBlackComm) October 31, 2017
Planned Parenthood's work in cities and with African American women has been criticized over the years, especially due to criticism levied against Planned Parenthood's founder Margaret Sanger. She has been called a "eugenics enthusiast" who, critics argue, saw Planned Parenthood as a way to control the population.
Some in the African American community have criticized Planned Parenthood's advocacy for abortion access in cities as being "black genocide."
Planned Parenthood and supporters have pushed back on the characterization of Sanger. They argue she may have supported some eugenicists' ideas, but her main argument for Planned Parenthood's services was not eugenics. Instead, they say her primary drive was that people should have the children they wanted.
Nevertheless, the backlash against Planned Parenthood on Twitter was swift.
Abortions always resut in death of at least 1, the most vulnerable. Abortion is not prevention, its murder. Correct wrong. Dont multiply it.
— Linda VOZ (@avoiceforothers) October 31, 2017
Poverty doesn't kill black Americans.
But Planned Parenthood does.— Jamie Jeffries (@prolife_wife) October 31, 2017
Disgusting. To encourage ppl like me to end our future children’s lives instead of empowering us to grow healthy human beings. Vile
— Antonia Okafor Cover (@antonia_okafor) October 31, 2017
Are you seriously encouraging racism through abortion?? And on Twitter?? Wow. Fulfilling your founder’s dream
— Abby Johnson (wife/mama) (@AbbyJohnson) November 1, 2017
'Why risk your baby dying when you can make sure of it."
— Wittorical (@Wittorical) October 31, 2017