On March 9, Parents Magazine published an article describing a TikTok trend that has arisen as a result of post-Roe misinformation, featuring a pro-life physician as its main voice. The trend includes expectant mothers in pro-life states who, apparently fearing that abortion laws would prevent doctors from offering them lifesaving care if needed, were uploading “living wills” to the social media platform – videos of themselves asking their medical staff to “save them first” if complications arise forcing their physicians to “choose” between them and their babies. Dr. Greg Marchand, an AAPLOG member, was quoted clarifying that in the rare cases where premature parturition is indicated, physicians need not hesitate to intervene. An excerpt from the article states,
Dr. Marchand also explains while difficult choices do need to be made sometimes, there is rarely a situation in the United States where a physician must choose between the [mother]’s or the baby’s life. If that situation does arise, the [mother]’s life would essentially come first.
Notably, Dr. Marchand’s was the only medical voice in the article, a rare occurrence for an outlet like Parents. On March 12th, however, after the article had obtained praise for combating pro-abortion misinformation, it was amended to remove Dr. Marchand’s quotes. The article no longer answers the question of whether women in pro-life states are able to receive lifesaving care; instead, it simply advises them on how to craft a legally valid living will.
This development exemplifies the reality of the abortion industry’s hegemony over media narratives, including the misinformation that abortion restrictions in state laws prevent doctors from offering lifesaving care to women. AAPLOG offers several resources to combat this false narrative, including guidelines for physicians in pro-life states who may feel uncertain as to when it is legally permissible to intervene in a pregnancy. We encourage members to familiarize themselves with these resources and to share them with colleagues. We also encourage our members to combat misinformation on abortion with their colleagues, on social media and in their local media. We are offering several free in-person media training sessions across the country this year. If you are interested in building the skills you need to advocate for life- affirming medicine, register now for one of these trainings.
