What does it mean to want something? To truly desire? If we do not understand the answer to this question, then we are far behind in the 2024 abortion landscape. Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers have made it their number one priority to understand what women want, how and when they want it, and how to get it to them as easily as possible.
For many in the pro-life movement, this type of thinking is unintuitive, and could be seen as distracting from the main goal: saving lives. However, taking a philosophical step back from the day to day and looking at the core desires of the human heart may provide more actionable results than you might expect.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a psychological tool developed in the 1950’s to represent the different types of needs human beings experience at different times in their lives. At the bottom is our most basic needs, food, water, shelter, and the like. At the very top is what Maslow calls “self-actualization,” or, put more simply, the ability for a person to be completely free and fulfilled in their life. But what does this have to do with Planned Parenthood and abortion?
Our contention at Heroic Media is that Planned Parenthood’s abortion services offering is so attractive to women facing unexpected pregnancies because those pregnancies are positioned by Planned Parenthood as a threat to ALL of the five levels on the hierarchy. They understand deeply both the fear and desire that a woman experiences before, during, and after a pregnancy, and have placed themselves in the woman’s mind as the provider of the solution to those fears and desires.
Here’s how Planned Parenthood uses psychology to position themselves effectively:
Level 1 – Physiological Needs
The need: food, clothes, water, sleep, shelter, warmth
The Planned Parenthood angle: “‘Having a baby will take up all of your resources.’ ‘You won’t have enough money to pay rent, buy food, or afford clothes.’ ‘There are barely any resources out there to help you physically or financially, and those that do exist cannot help you sufficiently.’ ‘Having an abortion will save you from all of this hardship.’”
Level 2 – Safety and Security
The need: health, employment, property, family and social stability
The Planned Parenthood angle: “‘You will have to take time off of work when you give birth to your child.’ ‘You might not ever be able to return to work.’ ‘Your parents or your boyfriend will kick you out of their house if you go through with birth.’ ‘Forget owning a home – all of your money is going to be spent on childcare, so you’ll be stuck renting for the rest of your life.’”
Level 3 – Love and Belonging
The need: friendship, family, intimacy, sense of connection
The Planned Parenthood angle: “‘The father of your child is likely to not stick around after the child is born, and you even risk losing some friends because your lifestyle will change so drastically.’ ‘You are going to be alone with the child, and there will not be anyone around to help you.’ ‘You are much better off as a single woman, free to spend time with whoever you like whenever you like, and start a family when you feel more ready.’”
Level 4: Self-esteem
The need: confidence, achievement, respect of others
The Planned Parenthood angle: “‘You are going to have to put your college degree on hold indefinitely.’ ‘That promotion is not likely to happen anytime soon.’ ‘Forget becoming a leader or a breadwinner, because your whole life is now defined by the choice to give birth instead of the choice to be a liberated, empowered woman.’”
Level 5: Self-actualization
The need: morality, creativity, spontaneity, acceptance
The Planned Parenthood angle: “‘You were not made to be a mother.’ ‘You were made to be a woman, however you define it.’ ‘You have no obligations to anyone or anything.’ ‘You can craft your own reality and become the woman of your dreams.’”
Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers have saturated their advertising with this type of messaging for so long, that we hear echoes of it in the media we consume, the language our politicians use, and sometimes even the language we hear from our church leaders. These examples are meant to show how comprehensive the abortion industry is in spreading their message to women.
It would be a good practice for all of us in the pro-life movement to reflect on how we address women’s needs at each of these levels, and take the steps necessary to ensure that they are loved and respected no matter what situation they find themselves in.
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