Abortion

The human being is a blessed with a unique gift - ‘“The divine image is present in every man … Endowed with ‘a spiritual and immortal’ soul ... From his conception, he is destined for eternal beatitude.” 

Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral tragedy that is abortion. “This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish. God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception…” God has willed that all human life is sacred and therefore we must do all we can to end abortion and help all those who have been affected by it.

Facts & Figures


​Abortion is an induced fatally premature expulsion of a human embryo or fetus from the womb.
  • 1 out of every 4 pregnancy ends in abortion in the United States. 
  • Nearly 1 in 3 women have had an abortion by the time they are 45.
  • Nearly 4,000 children are aborted every day.
  • Over 1 million abortions are performed in the U.S. every year.
  • Since 1973, more than 58 million abortions have occurred in the U.S.
  • The abortion rate in the U.S. is 19.4 per 1,000 U.S. women aged 15-44.
  • Each year, about 2% of U.S. women aged 15–44 have an abortion; 47% of them have had at least one previous abortion.
​"It's like saying football is only 0.005% of what the NFL does!"
  • 50% of U.S. women obtaining abortions are younger than 25. Women aged 20–24 obtain 33% of all abortions, and teenagers obtain 17%.
  • Black women are 4.8 times as likely as non-Hispanic white women to have an abortion, and Hispanic women are 2.7 times as likely.
  • 37.1% of all abortions are performed on black women who make up only 14% of the total population of U.S. women of child-bearing age.
  • Approximately 50% of U.S. women who have an abortion are using a contraceptive method during the month they became pregnant.
  • In cases where prenatal testing helps diagnose cases of Down Syndrome in babies, about 90% of these babies are eliminated by abortion yearly.​​
“Abortion is Never Medically Necessary to Save a Mother’s Life”
30,000 doctors agree; among them…
  • Donna J. Harrison, M.D., Executive Director, American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists​
  • Michelle Cretella, M.D., Executive Director, American College of Pediatricians
  • John Schirger, M.D., President, Catholic Medical Association
  • David Stevens, M.D., CEO, Christian Medical & Dental Associations
  • Jane Orient, M.D., Executive Director, Association of American Physicians and Surgeons
Lila Rose interviews Dr. Anthony Levatino, OB/GYN and former abortionist...
Dr. Anthony Levatino discusses most common abortion procedures (illustrations)...
Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) --  A network of over 300 physicians worldwide to assist women. ​​
Foundational Principles
  1. It is reasonable and appropriate to respect a woman's right to choose to reverse a medical induced abortion.
  2. A woman should never be coerced into starting or continuing an abortion.
  3. Human beings are valuable and should be protected at all stages of their development.
  4. Mifepristone does not significantly increase the chances of birth defects. Reversing a mifepristone medical abortion is within reasonable medical practice.
  5. Progesterone can reverse the effects of mifepristone and has been safely used in pregnancy for over 40 years.
​Staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by medical professionals. 
            1-877-558-0333
   www.abortionpillreversal.com

Educational Materials on Church Teaching


Respect Life Office Programs
    40 Days for Life
     March for Life Pilgrimage
     Project Rachel
     Spiritual Adoption

Respect Life 101
     Abortion:  Presentation / Facilitator Notes

Church Documents
​     USCCB:  Abortion 
     USCCB:  Partial-Birth Abortion 
     USCCB:  RU-486 
     Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC): Abortion 
     Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC): Respect for Human Life 
     Evangelium Vitae: The Gospel of Life (EV) 
     Donum Vitae: The Gift of Life (DV) 
     Humanae Vitae (HV) 
 

Leadership & Volunteer Opportunities


​If you or your organization has expertise or an interest in the topic of abortion, or if you would like to learn how you can assist in the life-saving work of the Respect Life Office by becoming a resource for information on the Church's teaching on abortion, please contact us. 

“Catholics must be committed to the defense of life in all its stages and in every condition”
                                                                                                                                                                                              St. Pope John Paul II, 1995
Respect Life Office ~ Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph  ~ 20 West Ninth Street ~ Kansas City, MO 64105 ~ ​(816) 756-1850 ~ francis@diocesekcsj.org