A blog post has gone viral in which a woman claims to have aborted a late-term fetus upon learning that it was a boy. Is the story real or fake?
History
In a blog post entitled “I Aborted My Baby – Because it was a Boy” published on the obscure blog Injustice Stories, we read the narrative of a woman named Lana who felt “betrayed” upon learning that the gender of her baby was a boy. The post concludes, in part:
I don’t hate men, I hate the patriarchy, what men, and even some women, turn into, I wasn’t going to let that happen with my offspring. The chances were greater that it would with a male, it was unacceptable.
The original blog posted a follow-up story in which “Lana” responds to criticism.
Although the story was published in January 2015, it was picked up by websites such as the Telegraph and Inquisitr in February. These news sites presented the story along with a few facts about abortion. Few, however, appeared to question the veracity of the tale itself. The Telegraph eventually removed the story altogether.
The Huffington Post included an “update” at the beginning of their coverage, noting, “Since the publication of this article, several people have reported that this may be a hoax.”
Problems With the Story
While some writers, such as those at the Telegraph and Inquisitr, seemed to accept the story at face value, others questioned the post itself. Consider:
- The article in question was essentially the first post on the site (aside from a “Why I created this site” introduction).
- The domain was registered the same day that the article was published: January 17, 2015
- As an anonymous blog post, there are no sources cited and no way to corroborate the claims in the story.
- Readers are asked to share the story on Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus in order to continue reading it.
As the story gained traction, angry comments became more prominent, both on the original blog and on sites like the Telegraph. While initial comments focused on the shock of the narrative, some readers began to question whether or not the story was even true.
Bottom Line
The anonymous blog post in which a woman claims to have aborted her late-term baby was published without sources to a brand new website which requires readers to share it. Without additional information there is no way to confirm or deny the story. Because of the problems cited here, however, the blog has the feel of click-bait website, which has duped at least some journalists who never questioned the story or website itself. The removal of the story by the Telegraph also speaks volumes.