Abortion is a hotly contested topic in the United States. Feminists believe in a woman’s right to terminate pregnancy at her will, and there are others who feel that the unborn child has a right to live. The debate only got hotter this week after it was revealed that in New York City, there were more black babies aborted than born during 2012.
The findings were reported by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. This only adds fuel to the racial fire among those who feel that African Americans are targeted for abortion more than any other group in America, with some even claiming that this is tantamount to a subtle form of genocide. African Americans received more abortions on a per capita basis than any other group in America, with many of the clinics being readily accessible in urban communities.
In addition to having the highest rate of abortions of any ethnic group, black women also had the highest rates of pregnancy and miscarriage. According to the Christian Post:
Black women had a chart-leading 115.7 pregnancies for every 1,000 women, but a total of 31,328 of those pregnancies were aborted in 2012 and an additional 3,446 of those pregnancies were reported as miscarriages. Only 24,758 black babies were born alive.
According to the report, black women also accounted for the most preterm births – babies born younger than 37 weeks old; the most babies born with low birth weights; being the most overweight or obese and had the highest rate of Cesarean sections (C-sections). Black women were also more likely than any other racial group to have started prenatal care late (in the third trimester) or had none at all.
The question remains: Will the mere reporting on this fact lead to charges of politicizing and race baiting a controversial issue? Are there those who’d rather have us not mention this disparity at all? If so, then why would they want us to keep it quiet?
