Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
In an effort to destigmatize the destruction of the unborn, a new DIY abortion clinic is set to open in an upscale Maryland neighborhood and will offer clients abortion pills in a “spa like” atmosphere.
The Washington Post is reporting on the latest pro-abortion tactic to make abortion more attractive to the American public, particularly to the younger generation who has been steadily trending more pro-life.
Known as Carafem, the “spa” will not offer surgical abortion but will deal in the abortion pill only, mostly because it spares the company the expense of having to purchase surgical equipment. This means that all prospective clients must be no more than 10 weeks pregnant in order to enjoy Carafem’s “let’s all pretend you’re happy about this” environment.
When patients enter the spa, which is located in an upscale Washington DC suburb known as Friendship Heights, they’ll be delighted to find beautiful high-end wood floors and warm natural tones on the walls. They’ll each be greeted with a cup of warm tea, a comfy robe, and a cheery “matter-of-fact” attitude. It’s all designed to make them feel like they’ve just entered a luxury salon for a nice relaxing pedicure rather than to murder their unborn child.
“We don’t want to talk in hushed tones,” brags Carafem president Christopher Purdy. “We use the A-word.”
Women will then receive some counseling along with a few basic tests. They’ll be given the first pill at the clinic, then sent home.
“Purdy’s team expects to get them in and out quickly, within about 60 minutes,” the Post reports. “They will be sent home with a second set of pills to take the next day. The second dose induces the abortion, which resembles a miscarriage, typically within six hours.”
Even though a pharmaceutical abortion costs $500 in the U.S., Purdy plans to offer his clients the reduced rate of just $400.
Naturally, if the project is successful, Purdy wants to expand his model to other states.
“It’s fresh, it’s modern, it’s clean, it’s caring,” he said. “That’s the brand we’re trying to create.”
Whether it works will be another story. Even the pro-abortion Post admits that the campaign is coming along at a time when the pro-abortion crowd is struggling.
“Since 2010, states have enacted more than 200 laws restricting the procedure, and dozens of clinics have closed their doors. Groups on both sides agree that antiabortion activists have the momentum, with a simpler message — ‘abortion kills’ — and a gut-level emotional appeal.”
The article goes on to admit that even Americans who support abortion rights still believe the procedure is morally wrong.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life lobbying group, doesn’t believe Carafem’s approach will succeed.
Even people who support abortion rights “don’t necessarily see it as something to celebrate,” she told the Post. “They want to think about [abortion] as a necessary evil.”
Dave Andrusko, News Editor of the National Right to Life Committee, doesn’t believe this is a winning strategy either. “In most ways the story is actually less about Carafem per se than it is about how it fits into the counter-offensive by pro-abortionists who are getting their ears pinned back, electorally and in the battle for public opinion . . . ” he writes.
It’s simply too far out-of-touch with the way Americans regard abortion – which is with the kind of distaste any rational person would feel about the murder of innocent human beings.
“They actually think this is a winning strategy,” Andrusko said. “You have to wonder what planet they are living on.”
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