According to a 1996 study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, approximately 5 percent of rapes result in pregnancy. With an estimated 430,000 rapes occurring annually in the United States (per the Bureau of Justice Statistics), that equates to over 21,000 rape-related pregnancies every year. These are not rare or hypothetical cases. The vast majority of victims are under 25, and many are minors. Nearly 80 percent know their attacker, which means they are often forced to carry the child of someone who abused them.

The psychological harm of forced birth is well documented. According to a longitudinal study from the University of California, San Francisco, known as the Turnaway Study, 95 percent of women who had abortions said it was the right decision, even five years later. In contrast, women denied abortions were more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

Health risks are also significant. The CDC reports that the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries, with 32.9 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births as of 2021. For Black women, the rate is nearly 70 per 100,000, nearly three times higher than for white women.

The Turnaway Study also found that women denied abortions were:

60 percent more likely to suffer severe pregnancy-related health complications

Three times more likely to be unemployed one year later

Four times more likely to live below the federal poverty line

More likely to remain in contact with abusive partners

Less likely to achieve personal goals, such as completing education or starting a career

If the United States were truly pro-life, it would support people after they are born. Yet the U.S. is the only industrialized country without guaranteed paid parental leave. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 27 million Americans are uninsured. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, one in six children in America lives below the poverty line. Childcare can cost more than $10,000 per year per child, often exceeding the cost of public college tuition.

According to a 2020 report from UNICEF, the United States ranks 38th out of 41 high-income countries in child well-being. Meanwhile, gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S., according to a 2022 analysis by Johns Hopkins University. The same lawmakers who pass abortion bans frequently vote against common-sense gun reform, universal healthcare, school meal programs, and expanded access to contraception.

This is not a system designed to protect life. It is a system that demands birth while failing to support the lives that result from it.