Planned Parenthood knows ultrasounds lead to fewer abortions, calls them ‘terrorizing’

Many post-abortion women have come forward claiming that Planned Parenthood refused to show them ultrasounds of their babies when they were considering abortion. In other cases, Planned Parenthood workers were careful to turn the ultrasound monitor away from the pregnant woman. For example, Tegra Little, who had her abortion at Planned Parenthood, describes what she was told when she asked to see her baby on the ultrasound screen:

I asked her if I could see the screen, and she said, “No.” I asked, “Why not?” She said, “It’s against our policy.” Then she told me, “There’s nothing to see, it’s just tissue.” In that moment I should’ve put my clothes back on and walked out. She never talked with me about fetal development, the baby’s heartbeat, or adoption.

A recent video showing that Planned Parenthood clinics have quotas for selling abortions reveals why Planned Parenthood workers are so reluctant to let women see ultrasounds.

Planned Parenthood’s Abortion Quotas

Planned Parenthood workers are encouraged not to say anything to women that might sway their decision against abortion.

Unsurprisingly, Planned Parenthood fights tooth and nail against any law that gives women the option of seeing an ultrasound. Even in cases where the proposed law only requires the woman be asked whether she wishes to view it, Planned Parenthood campaigns against it.

When a law was passed requiring abortionists to tell women they could receive a free ultrasound at a crisis pregnancy center, Keith Smith, a lobbyist for Planned Parenthood, said, “This kind of legislation is just going to harass and terrorize women.”(1)

Smith fails to explain how telling a woman she can receive a free ultrasound is terrorizing her.

Commenting on how crisis pregnancy centers show women considering abortion ultrasounds of their babies, Alison Herwitt from NARAL Pro-Choice America said:

They don’t want them to go to Planned Parenthood, where they’ll get their full range of options, They just want them to go to crisis pregnancy centers, where women will be exposed to this weapon at taxpayers’ expense.(2)

Is informing a woman about what’s going on in her body wrong? Or is it better to keep women in the dark? What is it about an ultrasound, which merely reveals the baby that is already there, that makes it a “weapon” against women? Also, the video below debunks the idea that Planned Parenthood gives women their “full range of options:”

The Prenatal Care Deception

Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood facility manager, explains the real reason Planned Parenthood is so desperate to prevent women from seeing ultrasounds. She first explains that ultrasounds are done at Planned Parenthood regularly as a matter of course:

Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Abortion Federation both REQUIRE ultrasounds to be performed before an abortion takes place. …

There is one reason for this. They need to be able to see exactly how far along the woman is in her pregnancy so the abortion facility knows how much to charge for the abortion. (3)

She then explains:

There is one reason they don’t want women to see their ultrasound…it is too risky. Ultrasounds expose the lie of the abortion industry. They show that it is not just a “blob of tissue” or a “mass of cells.”

Ultrasounds show the humanity of the child. They don’t oppose ultrasounds because it is too time consuming. They are performing them anyway! They are required (by their own rules) to perform them. It is not traumatizing for the woman. They are about to perform an invasive and painful procedure on these women and they are seriously worried about how an ultrasound will feel? Of course not. They only oppose ultrasounds because of the risk…a woman may choose life and they may be out several hundred dollars. It is pretty plain and simple.(4)

In 2011, statistics show that there were 400 fewer abortions in Arizona after ultrasound legislation was passed. Bryan Howard, president of Planned Parenthood of Arizona, complained about this:

That means something like 400 [pregnant women] have had their life substantially disrupted.(5)

If there wasn’t enough evidence that Planned Parenthood is overtly pro-abortion, this quote certainly shows it.

Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups oppose ultrasound legislation because such legislation works.

Planned Parenthood knows from experience that when they slip up, and women see the ultrasound despite their efforts, these women often go running out of the facility. For example, this story from sidewalk counselor and manager of a crisis pregnancy center, Roderick P. Murphy:

Anya (pseudonym) was in the abortion facility next door being prepared for an abortion when a Planned Parenthood staffer mistakenly allowed a corner of the ultrasound screen to be seen by her. When the client saw her baby moving on the screen, she panicked, jumped off the table and ran out of the building where our outside counselor steered her toward our office. We counseled her and showed her a full ultrasound screen of her baby and she wept with relief. She kept crying and saying “I almost killed my baby. I almost killed my baby.”(6)

Read more stories of minds changed by seeing ultrasounds.

Planned Parenthood knows that ultrasounds are indeed a powerful “weapon” – but not against women. They are a weapon in the battle against abortion — a powerful weapon that saves lives.

Editor’s Note: If you are facing pressure to abort, please check out the resources and information here: What to Do If Your Boyfriend – or Anyone – Wants You to Get an Abortion. You can also see 10 Reasons Not to Get an Abortion and this powerful info about abortions and these accurate, animated (non-graphic) videos. If you have begun an abortion and are now regretting your choice, you can call the 24-hour, nurse-staffed hotline from Abortion Pill Reversal at 1-877-558-0333 or go to their site here for possible help in reversing your abortion. 

1. Jennifer Mock “New law targets abortion in state” The Oklahoman July 3, 2006

2. Karla Dial “Bringing Good Things to Life” Citizen June 2003

3. Abby Johnson “Abby Johnson: Counselor for My Abortion Had 9 Abortions” LifeNews.com April 23, 2012

4. Id.

5. HOWARD FISCHER “Cause of abortions drop in state disputed”  Yuma Sun 12, 2011

6. Roderick P Murphy Stopping Abortions at Death’s Door (Southbridge, Massachusetts: Taig Publishing 2009) 194