Planned Parenthood sparked backlash after tweeting that virginity is a “social construct” rooted in harmful, patriarchal thinking. The tweet received negative responses, with people challenging the label of “construct” and questioning why virginity is considered harmful. Some accused Planned Parenthood of trying to lower the age of consent or normalize pedophilia. Others argued that the organization’s stance is a result of potential financial incentives, as virgins do not contribute to their business.
Planned Parenthood has an incentive to degrade the notion of virginity, as it facilitates sexual activity through services like abortion, contraception, and sex education. Planned Parenthood’s dominance in the sex education grant process has been noted, with a majority of funds and successful programs being affiliated with the organization. The organization’s sex education curriculum has been criticized for promoting early sexual activity and for being funded by population control and eugenics groups.
This is not the first time that Planned Parenthood has made statements about virginity. The group’s website previously stated that there is no universal definition of virginity and that only individuals can determine if certain sexual activities count as sex. This misconstruance of virginity serves only to promote sexual promiscuity, thereby furthering Planned Parenthoods agenda.
It remains unclear what prompted Planned Parenthood’s tweet, but the controversy highlights the ongoing debate around virginity and its societal significance.