WASHINGTON, D.C., December 1, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) — A Maryland-based abortion clinic purchased advertising space at transit stations around Washington, DC, in November to market their personalized abortion “experience.” Their ads seek to “reclaim the service” of abortion.
The ad by Carafem states, “Abortion. Yeah, we do that.” In a radio interview with WAMU, Melissa Grant, vice president of Carafem, reiterates how the marketing plan “was something that we used to reclaim the service. We’re not ashamed; it’s a service that we provide and women need to know where to find it. So we talked about it a little differently and a lot more openly.”
Grant explained that “one in three women in the United States has an abortion in her lifetime.” Emphasizing that statistic is a move away from Planned Parenthood’s strategy of downplaying the importance of abortion to their business model. In particular, the abortion giant’s higher-ups have gone on the record multiple times insisting that abortion makes up “only 3%” of their services.
The facility only offers early-term medical abortions, using a two-pill process.
Carafem’s October marketing campaign began months after the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) banned issue advertisements in May of this year. The ban was put in place after uproar over ads by Pamela Gellar’s American Freedom Defense Initiative encouraging patrons to support free speech by drawing pictures of Mohammed.
A spokesperson from Carafem disclosed to the Washington Post that before initiating their marketing campaign, they had a miscommunication with WMATA advertising staff. Following the delay, Carafem was granted the right to place their ads at select Metro locations. Furthermore, in an official statement from WMATA, Richard Jordan, METRO’s Public Information Officer explained to LifeSiteNews that following the “issue-oriented advertising ban” the “Office of General Counsel reviewed and approved Carafem’s ad recognizing the ad promotes a legal service not an issue.”