Planned Parenthood 1952: Abortion 'Kills the Life of a Baby,' Danger to Mother

Live Action´s investigative journalists have uncovered the pamphlet from Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) that emphatically espoused an anti-abortion position.

P>WASHINGTON, DC, (LifeSiteNews.com) - It is an inconvenient fact.

According to a pamphlet unearthed by the pro-life group Live Action, back in 1952, Planned Parenthood - today the largest abortion provider in the United States - told women that having an abortion was a danger to their lives, health, and fertility, and kills a baby.

Live Action´s investigative journalists have uncovered the pamphlet from Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) that emphatically espoused an anti-abortion position, while explaining artificial birth control: "the use of medically approved methods to postpone pregnancy until you are ready for it."

The booklet is entitled "Plan Your Children for Health and Happiness." The copy scanned and posted on Live Action´s website indicates it was distributed through Planned Parenthood of Iowa and dated to October 1952.  

The document's "frequently asked questions" section on birth control asked, "Is it an abortion?"

"Definitely not," Planned Parenthood said. "An abortion requires an operation. It kills the life of a baby after it has begun."

"It is dangerous to your life and health. It may make you sterile so that when you want a child you cannot have it. Birth control merely postpones the beginning of life."

The explanation appears to run at variance with Planned Parenthood's current description of abortions prior to legalization in 1973 as dangerous due to illegality - rather than harmful in and of itself to both mother and unborn child.

"The scientific fact that an abortion ends the life of a living human being isn´t so convenient these days for Planned Parenthood," remarked David R. Schmidt, Media Director for Live Action, in a post accompanying the revealed PPFA pamphlet. 

"They sure had a more accurate understanding of science before their twisted abortion ideology of today took over."

LifeSiteNews.com attempted to reach PPFA for comment; however, calls were not returned by press time.

The PPFA document also reveals a shift in ideology over the intended consumers of birth control  - rather than unmarried women, the pamphlet addressed women who wished to delay pregnancy until "you and your husband are well and able to take care of them."

---

LifeSiteNews.com is a non-profit Internet service dedicated to issues of culture, life, and family. It was launched in September 1997. LifeSiteNews Daily News reports and information pages are used by numerous organizations and publications, educators, professionals and political, religious and life and family organization leaders and grassroots people across North America and internationally.