Twitter boosted Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams’ false claim about fetal heartbeats on its trending page Thursday, citing incorrect reports from corporate news outlets.
At a recent event in Atlanta, Abrams claimed that the detection of a heartbeat in fetuses at six weeks old is “manufactured” by men, who invented ultrasounds to trick women into not getting abortions. However, ultrasounds do reveal a fetal heartbeat present at six weeks, according to a number of doctors and even Planned Parenthood.
Twitter is amplifying and affirming Stacey Abrams’ falsehood about fetal heartbeats pic.twitter.com/kvjqddiBqe
— Dylan Housman (@Dylan_Housman) September 22, 2022
Despite that fact, Twitter took Abrams’ side on its trending sidebar when her claim went viral Thursday. “Stacey Abrams said there ‘is no such thing’ as a fetal heartbeat at six weeks of pregnancy, and doctors agree one doesn’t exist during this early stage of pregnancy, reports from NBC News and NPR confirm,” the Twitter synopsis read.
Abrams’ claim has since been debunked multiple times. Radiologist Dr. Pradheep Shanker explained in a Twitter thread that an ultrasound “can’t detect electrical activity,” contrary to Abrams’ statement. “Ultrasound only detects density and motion,” he wrote. “The cardiac muscles that are located in the embryological heart are contracting. They are in fact moving inward and outward. That is how you define a beat.”
Glenn… This is scientifically and medically incorrect. 100%.
Ultrasound can’t detect electrical activity. Who told you otherwise? https://t.co/PxxPViEV70
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) September 22, 2022
It is true that the valves in the heart develop later.
However, the cardiac muscles that are located in the embryological heart are contracting. They are in fact moving inward and outward. That is how you define a beat.
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) September 22, 2022
The failed gubernatorial candidate went further than to just deny that a fetal heartbeat exists at six weeks. She argued that there was a conspiracy amongst men to invent ultrasound technology in order to use it to trick women into thinking there’s a heartbeat.
“There is no such thing as a heartbeat at six weeks. It is a manufactured sound designed to convince people that men have the right to take control of a woman’s body,” Abrams said at the event.
Here is a science primer for people that want to understand how ultrasound works, from the NCBI.
NOTE THAT THEY NEVER DISCUSS ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY IN THE BODY.https://t.co/JFm0tikKaX
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) September 22, 2022
Planned Parenthood’s own website stated, until recently, that fetal heartbeats begin at 5-6 weeks of pregnancy. It was altered at some point to clarify that a heart is not fully developed, but doesn’t contradict that a heartbeat is present. (RELATED: Jean-Pierre Falsely Tells ‘The View’ That Abortion Will Be ‘Completely Banned’ Under Sen. Graham’s Proposal)
After YEARS of publishing on its website that at 5-6 weeks of a pregnancy, “A very basic beating heart and circulatory system develop,” Planned Parenthood has decided… it really doesn’t. Now: “It sounds like a heartbeat on an ultrasound, but it’s not a fully-formed heart…”
1/ pic.twitter.com/HiZMU4vR6o— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) September 22, 2022
Some other defenders of Abrams cited the fact that the cardiovascular system is not fully developed at six weeks to back her up, but that is not necessary for the heartbeat to begin, doctors say. An article in Live Science, which argues against six-week heartbeat abortion bans, even concedes that the heartbeat is present at that point.
Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler made the same mistake as Twitter, falsely claiming that Abrams was right before being overrun by corrections on Twitter. He has not issued a correction so far.