Don’t Blame Planned Parenthood For Our High Abortion Rate

November 3rd, 2011 - By Brande Victorian

One of Herman Cain’s many controversial comments has included his attack on Planned Parenthood as targeting black women in what he calls its “Planned Genocide.” The basis for his argument is the high rate of abortion among African-Americans. Despite only making up 12% of the US population, abortions among black women are triple that of the US population at 36.5%. The statistic is an alarming, but I’m not sure the bulk of the blame can be placed on Planned Parenthood.

Yes, Planned Parenthood Founder Margaret Sanger believed in the superiority of the white race, and famously started her organization to prevent the increase of social undesirables overall in the historically black neighborhood of Harlem. This is certainly disturbing to say the least. But isn’t there an underlying issue that warrants more attention than this, which has nothing to do with Planned Parenthood’s original purpose (which they has long since disavowed)?

What about the issue of black reproductive responsibility?

I have absolutely no issue with a woman exercising her reproductive right to an abortion, especially when she knows that she isn’t able to provide for a child financially. But the fact that black women are having these procedures at a much higher rate than others suggests a different problem that is not material. Poor access to and use of birth control has been cited as a possible cause for our higher abortion rates, but the last time I checked, there was no shortage of condoms in the U.S. What does seem to be running in short supply is the simple idea of sexual responsibility and pregnancy prevention in the first place.

Abortions shouldn’t be used as birth control. The fact that over 36% of abortions are performed on black women suggests that too many of us are seeing abortion as the first line of prevention against unwanted pregnancy. If that is true, we’ve got work to do internally. We need to make sure black parents provide more education to both boys and girls before black women get to the point of needing this service.

I wouldn’t put it totally past Planned Parenthood to be operating under a form of subtle institutional racism, but at the end of the day I’m not one for conspiracy theories (as is Herman Cain). If you are that paranoid, there’s a way to stop Planned Parenthood from achieving its perceived mission and it has nothing to do with shutting down their facilities. We can start teaching young black women and men sexual responsibility long before they even need to step foot in a Planned Parenthood clinic. Then we’ll no doubt see a drop in abortion rates.

Instead of pointing the finger to outside variables, let’s focus on us.

Brande VictorianBrande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

 

 

 

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  • Opinionated4Days

    I didn’t even need to read this article to immediately configure that this blogger could stand to do her some homework before she’s permitted to inaccurately influence the masses. Margaret Sanger is the founder of Planned Parenthood. She is quoted as saying her primary intention was “To discourage [black women] from breeding”. At the age of 31, more of my females peers than not have terminated teir pregnancies. To the point that while carrying my 2nd child; a lot of them weren’t comfortable being around me because of the guilt. smh. Nothin worse than speculation without substantiation!

  • Prissy

    I have NO attachment to a THING that resembles a LIMA BEAN. It is a FETUS not a human being. If someone wants to get an abortion that is their damn business. To all the christians…. what bible verse specifically states that “thou shalt not get an abortion because jesus said not to and you are going to hell”… I will wait…. 

  • LoveTheLeast8

    You write “Abortions shouldn’t be used as birth control.”

    Why is that? If there is nothing wrong with abortion, then why not just use it as another form of birth control? After all, it does control birth. It kills the human fetus before it is able to be born. I would consider that “control.”

    • L-Boogie

      Abortions as a form of birth control is irresponsible point blank.  And I am pro-choice so it is not an issue of a woman not controlling her body.  It is an issue of being an responsible adult and making wise decisions to protect your body. 

      • L-Boogie

        a responsible adult…

      • LoveTheLeast8

        Why do you think that using abortion to control birth is irresponsible?

        • Korey

          It is irresponsible because it means that you do not want to have kids but you’re not willing to at least use a condom to prevent it. 

          Think about it like this: If you’re not going to wear oven mitts to get the cake out of the oven, you’re constantly going to get burned because you’re not doing anything to protect your hands. And after a while of having burn after burn after burn, your hands will be so damaged that when it comes time to cut into the cake for a slice, you can’t even hold the knife. It doesn’t mean you should throw out the oven or stop baking. Just wear oven mitts. 

  • Rocafemme1016

    This is an uninformed and distasteful article. Performing some research you would find that over 80% of services provided at PP are family planning related – as in providing birth control and STD and HIV screening. If you want to have a discussion about possible variables, “reproductive responsibility” is too elusive to qualify. Let’s look at incarceration rates, unemployment, average house hold income, marriage, insurance coverage. Have you worked in public health? Do you realize how few health facilities and health providers are actually in these communities? So black women are supposed to “just” use condoms. Like forget those who are allergic. Forget the men who refuse to use them. Forget that they break and fall off.
    Wow. Let’s talk about variables. Really!

    • Korey

      1. If you are allergic to latex, you buy non-latex condoms.

      2. You don’t want to use anything, start marking your calendar checking when your period starts, count back 14 days to see when you were ovulating… after a few months, barring stressful situations and other health conditions, a woman could literally predict when her period is coming and you can even determine when your ovulating… And when you figure that out… DON’T HAVE SEX THAT WEEK! It’s not that hard…

      It’s all about mitigating the chance to get pregnant. The more you do, the further ahead you plan and the harder you THINK! You can have as much sex as you want without much fear of getting pregnant or sick. 

    • LoveTheLeast8

      Planned Parenthood is heavily focused on abortion, they are the largest abortion group in the entire country. That is a fact based on their own numbers, 332,278 abortions according to their latest annual report.

      • Truth0312

        Actually they provide family planning options for women, men, and do cancer screenings for people who can’t afford health insurance.  Only 10 percent of clients go there for abortions per their own report.  What’s going on with the other 90% of clients?  Hmmmm….

      • Korey

        Planned Parenthood’s allocated budget for abortions is 3%. And PP actually tries to coaches you through every other possible option… Like truth said… 10% are going for the Big A… the other 90% must be going for preventative methods… THINK please.

  • Josyln

    I agree with you 100%. I heard about the background of planned parenthood and the genocide of the African Amercian race, and I thought the same thing we have to do better. That means of protecting ourselves and being more responsible. Things do happen, yes. But we need to learn from it and do the right thing.

  • Korey

    Like I learned in Human Sexuality in college: Abortion should be THE LAST RESORT if all other options are exhausted or cannot be done. 

    Why is it that we women have the money to get an abortion but we can’t use that money to buy Plan B or even a box of condoms? $10 at Duane Reade is a worthwhile investment. 

    And why must we continue to believe men when they say they don’t like how a condom feels? There are such things as the Barely There condom… Use that. 

    And to those of you that are going to say, “How about women keep their legs closed?” Number 1: Why can’t men control their little brains and Number 2: Why must you be the one to close the barn after the horses are already gone? 

    We need to focus on making contraception both more accessible and more affordable. Point blank.

    • LoveTheLeast8

      Why should abortion be the last resort? Either abortion is killing a living human life or it is not. If it is then it is murder and shouldn’t be done…we don’t kill 2 year olds as a “last resort.”

      If abortion is not the killing of a human life when who cares how often it happens? Right?

      • Truth0312

        There’s a difference between a 2-year-old child who’s fully independent of his mother’s body and a fetus.  When any woman gets pregnant, there’s always a chance of miscarriage or stillbirth because the opposite is true.  Those issues don’t exist for human beings who’s viability isn’t wholly dependent on another person.  Any invasive medical procedure should be the last resort for no other reason than one’s future health.  Brande’s right, the emphasis should be on prevention.  We know people are going to continue to have sex.  I say make contraception as readily available as possible and educate our community on it’s use.  

  • HARDMIKE

    I guess you didn’t read what the author wrote, “but the last time I checked, there was no shortage of condoms in the U.S.”, see that subtle message right there? That condoms are the preferred form of birth control. I guess condoms are the only method of birth control.

  • Mipersona86

    I feel that you should be responsible for your actions good or bad. But whatever your choice is it’s ours. I’m not one for what the next does.

  • Dcarter910

    When people who lack self worth procreate, you will find that they value their offspring less than they value themselves. The mantra for the black community needs to be “love of self, expressed through personal accountability”.

  • R Wilson

    Brande Victorian is sexy

  • Msknowitall

    You have 2 options when you are pregnant, abort or keep. Your final decision is driven by your current circumstances or your frame of mind, not an institution. Any woman who blames her decision to abort because of a billboard or a commercial they saw by planned parenthood, is probably the person that if I told her to jump of a bridge they will fly, she will believe me and do it. At what point do black folks take personal responsibility for their actions and not blame others. No one held a gun to your head and said abort that baby or I will kill you, then maybe I can understand your decision. It’s part of life to make choices , when you make a decision you should own up to it and live with the outcomes( good or bad)

    • LoveTheLeast8

      There also is adoption.