The Facts

wHeart begins to beat around 22 days from conception
wThere have been more than 48 million abortions since 1973.
wWomen have cited 'social reasons' , not mother's health or rape/incest as their motivation in approximately 93% of all abortions.

National Right to Life

2007

For visuals on fetal development go to:

FETAL DEVELOPMENT
http://www.med.upenn.edu/meded/public/berp/overview/BV_1.html

image:emmerich1.com/sixweeks

Pro-Life Activities

The Numbers:

w There are 1.31 million abortions in the U.S. each year.

w 48% of women now seeking abortion have had at least one previous abortion.

w The U.S. abortion rate is among the highest of developed countries.

wT he U.S. abortion rate per 100 pregnancies is 24.5.

Sources: The Alan Guttmacher Institute, "Induced Abortion" Facts in Brief (2003). Ibid.

The Alan Guttmacher Institute, "Abortion in Context: United States and Worldwide" Issues in Brief, 1999 No. 1 (1999).

The Alan Guttmacher Institute, “Abortion Incidence and Services In the United States in 2000.” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, (Jan/Feb 2003)

Abortions Occur at the Following Gestational Times:

23%	in the first 6 weeks -- 301,300 annually
34.5%	in the seventh or eighth week -- 451,950 annually
19.5%	in the ninth or tenth week -- 255,450 annually
10%	in the eleventh or twelfth week -- 131,000 annually
6.0%	in the thirteenth through fifteenth weeks -- 78,600 annually
4.5%	in the sixteenth through twentieth weeks -- 58,950 annually
1.5%	at twenty-one weeks or more -- 19,650 annually

Sources: The Alan Guttmacher Institute, “An Overview of Abortion in the United States” (2003). 4. Elam-Evans L et al., “Abortion surveillance–United States, 2000”,

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2003, 52(SS 12).

Women Who Have Had Abortions Cite the Following Reasons:

21%	can't afford a baby
21%	are unready for responsibility
16%	concerned about how having a baby could change their lives
12%	have problems with relationship or want to avoid single parenthood
11%	are not mature enough/are too young to have children
8%	have all the children they want/have all grown-up children
3%	possible fetal health problem
3%	maternal health problem
1%	pregnancy resulted from rape or incest
1%	husband/partner wants them to have abortion
1%	don’t want others to know they had sex or are pregnant

Sources: The Alan Guttmacher Institute, "Reasons Why Women Have Induced Abortions: Evidence from 27 Countries" Family Planning Perspectives, Vol. 24 (August 1998).

The Alan Guttmacher Institute, "U.S. Women Who Obtain Abortions: Who and Why?" Family Planning Perspectives, Vol. 4, (July/August 1988).

Pro-Life Activities