For Immediate Release
May 2, 2021
Andrea Trudden, Vice President of Communications and Marketing
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NEW REPORT: Pregnancy help organizations expand services and reach, adapting to new state laws and abortion pathways

Heartbeat releases the latest Life Trends 2022 Report

Columbus, OH: Heartbeat International released a report highlighting the findings of the services provided within their network of more than 3,000 pregnancy help locations worldwide. The Life Trends 2022 Report also underscores unique ways that the pregnancy help movement serves women through not only pregnancy centers, but also mobile medical units, maternity homes, and Abortion Pill Reversal.

“The Life Trends 2022 Report shows another phenomenal year of pregnancy help making a powerful difference through pregnancy centers and their movement partners like mobile medical units, maternity homes, not to mention critical focused outreach like Abortion Pill Reversal,” said Heartbeat International president, Jor-El Godsey. “Together pregnancy help is a broad and thriving movement making a difference for life!”

As chemical abortions now account for 54 percent of all abortions in the U.S., Heartbeat International’s Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN) continues to experience growth, showing a 173 percent increase in reversal starts since 2019, highlighting the fact that as use of the abortion pill expands, so does the need for reversal.

The report looks at political trends in the U.S. as well, highlighting the impact the Texas “Heartbeat Law” which prohibits abortions after a heartbeat is detected (~8 weeks) had on pregnancy centers after being enacted in September. From the report, 49 percent of the centers indicated seeing an increase of clients after the law was enacted. Abortions in Texas fell 59% from August 2021 to September 2021.[i]

“We are witnessing history being made in real-time as states enact abortion-related laws nationwide and we’ve seen how swiftly our centers can adapt to these changes. Every woman deserves love and support during an unexpected pregnancy,” Andrea Trudden, Heartbeat’s vice president of communications and marketing said. “No matter where a woman is in her pregnancy journey, the pregnancy help network provides essential care and support – often at no cost – and will continue to do so because it is the right thing to do.”

Link to Life Trends 2022 Report: heartbeatinternational.org/lifetrends

Key findings in the report include: 

• 1,977,509 people now have access to pregnancy help through Heartbeat's Pregnancy Center Life Launch program
• 173% increase in abortion pill reversal starts since 2019
• Fewer than a dozen countries in the world besides the U.S. allow abortion without any restrictions after 15 weeks
• 49% of Texas pregnancy centers reported an increase of clients after the "Heartbeat Law" was enacted
• 3,000+ lives have been saved since 2012, according to statistics

Trend: Chemical Abortion

Chemical abortions have been increasingly preferred by abortion providers for years. 54% of all abortions are now performed through the abortion pill.[ii] 

Trend: Abortion Pill Reversal

Heartbeat's Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN) connects women who regret taking the first dose of the abortion pill regimen to a network of medical professionals trained to administer the reversal protocol.

• 3,000+ lives have been saved since 2012, according to statistics
• 1,091 lives were saved in 2020 through APR
• 150 women on average start the abortion pill reversal process each month
• Women in all 50 states and 65 countries contacted APRN in 2021
• 75% of women who seek reversal do so within 24 hours of taking the abortion pill
• 173% increase in reversal starts from 2019 to 2021

Trend: Option Line

Option Line's 24/7 pregnancy helpline is a resource that proved critically important in 2021, as many pregnancy centers were able to forward all phone calls to Option Line when they were forced to temporarily close their doors due to continued waves of COVID-19. 

• 52% of contact via phone
• 30% of contact via chat
• 14% use a self-service locator
• Option Line connects someone to life-saving help every 88 seconds
• More than 5 million women and men have contacted Option Line since 2003

[i] Selected Characteristics of Induced Terminations of Pregnancy by Month, by Alison Little, Texas Health and Human Services, February 2022

[ii] guttmacher.org/article/2022/02/medication-abortion-now-accounts-more-half-all-us-abortions

Heartbeat International and its network of more than 3,500 pregnancy help service providers worldwide work tirelessly to offer hope and help to women and families experiencing unexpected pregnancies. From this network of care, we can discover and evaluate trends within the movement as a whole and use them to inform and encourage others on the work accomplished.

The Life Trends Report exists to provide a snapshot of life-affirming pregnancy help. Having an awareness of the trends within the pregnancy help movement creates a better understanding as the culture changes and shifts over time.

The information within the 2024 Life Trends Report pulls in 2023 data and should be used to better understand the services our clients seek, while providing key information to share publicly about the good work and positive impact of pregnancy help.

•   •   •   Download the Life Trends 2024 Report   •   •   •

Findings from the Report:

• 1,949,457 total client visits to affiliated pregnancy help organizations in 2023
• 93% of Option Line contacts are mission-critical
• 22% of women report receiving the abortion pill from the internet or friends rather than a healthcare professional, an increase of 18% since 2021

Our affiliate pregnancy help centers (PHCs) offer a broad range of services from abstinence education and STD testing/treatment, to Abortion Pill Rescue and parenting classes.

• 73% provide Abortion Recovery services.
• 31% are part of the Abortion Pill Rescue Network.
• 76% provide ultrasound.
• 56% provide incentive programs for clients.
• 34% provide STD Testing.
• 80% of women considering an abortion choose life when they see an ultrasound.

Abortion Trend: Increased Access with Little Oversight

In the wake of the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the landscape of abortion has undergone a profound transformation. The shifting landscape of abortion, characterized by increased accessibility, reduced medical oversight, and alarming risks to women’s health, underscores the urgent need for compassionate care and practical support for women facing unplanned pregnancies as provided by the pregnancy help movement. 

• Chemical abortion accounts for over 80% of all abortions in the U.S.
• Data shows a 38% drop since 2017 of women receiving ultrasound screenings before abortion initiation has been observed, depriving women of vital information about their pregnancies
• 22% of women report obtaining abortion pills online or from acquaintances in the last three years

Life Trend: Expanded Services

Expanded Services: Pregnancy help organizations often expand their reach by providing additional outreach to women in need, with little to no federal taxpayer dollars.

• 256 have Mobile Units
• 100 have on-site Doctors
• 46 have Telehealth

Life Trend: Abortion Pill Reversal

Heartbeat's Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN) connects women who regret taking the first dose of the abortion pill regimen to a network of medical professionals trained to administer the reversal protocol.

• 5,000+ lives have been saved since 2012, according to statistics
• 1,200 lives were saved in 2023 through APR
• 150 women on average start the abortion pill reversal process each month
• Women in all 50 states and 93 countries contacted APRN in 2023
• 77% of women who seek reversal do so within 24 hours of taking the abortion pill
• 43% increase in reversal starts since 2020

Life Trend: Option Line

Option Line's 24/7 pregnancy helpline serves as a vital resource, especially when pregnancy centers are closed. It ensures that assistance is available round the clock, offering support to women in need, particularly in times when alternative options like abortion pills by mail are being considered.

• 58% of contact via phone
• 9% of contact via chat
• 23% use a self-service locator
• Option Line connects someone to life-saving help every 76 seconds
• More than 7 million women and men have contacted Option Line since 2003 

• • • Download the Life Trends 2024 Report • • • 

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The more who know about the many ways the pregnancy help movement serves women and communities, the better.