Chinese hospital sparks outrage with slogan claiming abortion harms men

By Minh Nga   January 14, 2025 | 12:00 am PT
A hospital in southern China has faced public backlash for displaying anti-abortion slogans that claim women who undergo abortions harm the family of their future husbands.

Youhao Hospital, located in Heyuan City, Guangdong Province, became a focal point of controversy after photos of the slogans surfaced online.

The slogans, which say "Abortion harms the vitality of a man's family" and "Women who have had abortions tend to give birth to rebellious children" were displayed on boards placed in a waiting area of the hospital in Heyuan City of Guangdong Province, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The most shocking messages were written in bold red letters, including: "Abortion cuts the male’s ancestral blood ties and harms the vitality of the male’s family," and "Children born to mothers who have had abortions tend to be rebellious, prone to anger, disrespectful to parents, underweight, have lower IQs, and weaker health."

The slogans also emphasized traditional values, proclaiming: "Filial piety is the foremost among all wholesome deeds, and sexual misconduct is the worst of all unwholesome deeds."

The display listed alleged psychological and physical risks of abortion and miscarriage for women, such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, endometritis, and infertility.

The slogans quickly drew outrage on social media.

One person said: "How did public welfare campaigns turn into feudal superstition promotions?"

"Abortion clearly harms women’s bodies, but somehow this has been twisted into harming the man and his family. This is really absurd," said another.

In response to the backlash, Youhao Hospital removed the slogans and clarified that the campaign had been organized by an external group, not the hospital itself, according to The Paper.

As of 2023, China reported approximately 9 million abortions, nearly matching the total number of births (9.02 million). Over half of the abortions occurred among unmarried women aged 15–24, with a repeat abortion rate exceeding 55%, SCMP reported.

 
 
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