If Americans were asked what the leading causes of death are in our nation, most people might point to heart disease, cancer, or tragic accidents. And they’re partly right. These causes take hundreds of thousands of lives each year. But what rarely makes the headlines is the truth that abortion is the number one cause of death in America.
Every year, more innocent lives are lost to abortion than to heart disease or cancer or respiratory illnesses. It is the greatest human rights crisis of our time. It is a silent epidemic that robs our nation of its children and wrecks families.
Abortion Statistics in America
Since Roe v. Wade was legalized in 1973, more than 67 million children have lost their lives to abortion in the United States. Even with the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe, abortion has not gone away. Instead, it has shifted.
- Many states still permit abortion on demand in their laws.
- More than 1 million abortions take place in the U.S. each year.
- Abortion pills now account for at least 63% of all abortions nationwide, making the procedure more accessible and hidden than ever, and allowing abortions to continue even within states that have laws against abortions.
With abortion outpacing every other cause of death year after year, it is clear: Our nation’s greatest threat to life is not a disease, but a 100% preventable decision.
Our nation’s greatest threat to life is not a disease, but a 100% preventable decision.
Why Abortion Is the Leading Cause of Death
Unlike most other causes of death, abortion is intentional. It is the deliberate ending of a preborn child’s life, often rooted in fear, pressure, or lack of support. Women who choose abortion often face overwhelming circumstances: financial hardship, lack of partner support, and the belief that they have no other choice.
This is why the problem of abortion is not only a medical or political issue — it is deeply cultural and spiritual. As long as society views abortion as an acceptable “solution,” it will remain the leading cause of death in America.
Arguments That Perpetuate the Killing: Personhood and Viability
Some argue that abortion should not be counted as the “death of a person” because they claim that life in the womb is not yet a person or not yet viable outside the womb. These claims are a distraction from the indisputable fact that the child in the womb is a defenseless human being with the same natural rights as all other humans. And both arguments collapse under closer examination.
Personhood Is Not Earned; It Is Inherent
History has shown the danger of deciding who “counts” as a person and who doesn’t. From slavery to genocide, whenever humanity sets arbitrary standards for who counts as a person, it leads to oppression and injustice.
Science is clear that life begins at conception: At that moment, a distinct, living human being with unique DNA comes into existence. Personhood is not something granted arbitrarily by society. Personhood is something every human possesses by virtue of being human, made in the image of God.
Viability Is a Moving Goalpost
The concept of “viability” (a baby’s ability to survive outside the womb) is often used to justify abortion. But viability depends on technology and medical support, not on a child’s humanity. A baby born at 21 weeks can now survive thanks to medical advances, something unheard of decades ago. And as technology progresses, younger and younger babies will experience “viability.” Does that mean children in the 1970s at the same stage were not “persons”? Of course not. Prenatal development didn’t change in that time; technology did.
Viability is not a measure of human worth; it is simply a reflection of human development and medical progress.
In short, arguments from personhood and viability attempt to redefine who qualifies as human. But no definition can erase the biological and moral reality that abortion ends a human life.
The Human Cost
Every abortion is not just the loss of a single life. It can also mean the loss of generations. Each child who never sees the light of day represents the possibility of an entire family tree cut off before it begins. Think of the doctors, teachers, inventors, pastors, friends, cousins, mothers, and fathers whose contributions will never be known.
Between 1997–2012, the generation now known as Gen Z was born. However, many millions of children conceived during this period were aborted in the womb.
In addition to the children targeted, abortion deeply wounds women and families. Studies show that many women experience grief, regret, and long-term emotional struggles after abortion. Fathers, siblings, and grandparents are also impacted, creating ripples of brokenness across communities.
Proverbs 24:11 calls us to “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” Abortion is America’s leading cause of “slaughter,” which means Christians and pro-life advocates must respond with the urgency and compassion demanded by our faith.
How We Make Abortion Unthinkable
At Human Coalition, we believe the solution is twofold: We must make abortion both unthinkable and unnecessary.
1. Changing Hearts and Minds
Our culture must see the truth: that every life, no matter how small, is valuable. This means:
- Educating the public that life begins at conception.
- Challenging the lie that abortion is health care.
- Awakening churches to boldly proclaim the dignity of preborn life.
Through public advocacy, education, and faith-based initiatives, we can help shift cultural attitudes so that abortion is no longer seen as an acceptable choice.
2. Making Abortion Unnecessary
Even more urgently, women need to know they are not alone. Many choose abortion not because they want to, but because they feel they have no other option. That’s why Human Coalition exists:
- We reach women online who are seeking abortion, connecting them to compassionate help.
- We rescue children by guiding moms to telecare support and life-affirming pregnancy centers.
- We restore families by providing ongoing resources such as housing, counseling, financial aid, mentorship, and tangible baby supplies, so moms can thrive beyond their pregnancy.
When women are cared for, abortion becomes unnecessary.
What You Can Do
It is easy to feel powerless in the face of such a large tragedy, but you can make a difference. Here are practical ways to respond:
- Pray without ceasing. Ask God to rescue children and heal our culture. Pray for moms in crisis to find hope and support. An easy way to start is to subscribe to Human Coalition’s Daily Prayer Devotional, which will text a devotional to your phone each weekday.
- Support pro-life organizations. Partner with groups like Human Coalition that are on the front lines rescuing children and serving moms.
- Educate yourself and others. Learn how to have courageous conversations about abortion rooted in compassion and truth.
- Engage your church. Encourage your church to be a refuge for moms and a voice for the preborn.
- Speak up. Share the reality that abortion is the leading cause of death in America. Many people simply do not know the truth.
A Vision for the Future
Imagine an America where abortion is not only illegal in law, but unthinkable in culture and seen as unnecessary by pregnant mothers. Imagine a nation where moms are surrounded by support, where children are cherished, and where families are restored.
This vision is possible, but only if we face the reality of today. Abortion remains the leading cause of death in America, and we have a huge responsibility to reduce that every day.
Together, through prayer, advocacy, and compassionate action, we can help end abortion in our lifetime. Every child deserves the chance to live. Every mother deserves the chance to be loved and supported. And every Christian has a role to play in making abortion both unthinkable and unnecessary.
