Nearly one-half of the approximate 2.8 million annual pregnancies in the United States are unintended.  Most women believe that they have only two choices: to parent the child (often as a single parent) or to kill the infant in the womb through abortion.  (NOTE: at the present, approximately 60% of these preborn infant deaths are through pills taken by the women)

Single parenting has changed significantly.  In 1960, only about 5% of unmarried women chose to raise a child as a single parent; by 2015, that number had risen to 41%.  Further – as of 2020, 21% of US children, about 15.3 million children, live with their mother only; in 1968, this number was 11% or about 7.6 million.

Fewer than 1% of the women with unplanned pregnancies place their child for adoption.  (Note: we say “place”, not “give up”.) This is most unfortunate because there are approximately two million couples in the US who are seeking to adopt.

Further – nearly 74% of women who have ended a pregnancy say that they were not sufficiently informed about their options beforehand.

Most women do not choose to place their child for adoption for two reasons: the concept of adoption simply does not occur to them, and adoption is not suggested by any of the people they turn to for advice (partner, parent, friend, physician). 

The past fifty or so years –– affected by Roe v. Wade in 1973–– have essentially created a culture where killing the infant in the womb is considered safe, quick, and painless.  Further – for whatever reason -single parenting has been portrayed (courtesy of the media) as glamorous.  Both abortion and single parenting are focused principally on the life of the parent.  There is no consideration for the life of the child.  Adoption focuses on the life of the child. 

One of our Right to Life goals in 2026 is to increase awareness, knowledge, and the availability of adoption.  It is vital that we inform more than just the women concerned with her unplanned pregnancy – we must also reach all of their trusted advisors and influencers (partner, parents, physicians, clergy,…) about the adoption option.     

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Reference: Marcroft (2022) Pro-Choice Pro-Adoption: It’s Time for a Loving, Positive Response to Unplanned Pregnancy, Global Press of Silicon Valley. ISBN 978-1-7357534-6-1