Research coming out of Johns Hopkins University in the United States has concluded that Texas’s Heartbeat Act likely saved 9,800 unborn babies in just nine months.
Figures published in The Journal of the American Medical Association indicate that were 9,799 more births between April 2022 and December 2022 than would usually be expected. The rise in births has been attributed to Texas’s pro-life law limiting abortion to six weeks.
The calculation was based on a model of abortion statistics dating back to 2016.
Prohibiting abortion once an unborn child’s cardiac activity has been detected, the Texas Heartbeat Act was signed into law by Republican Governor Greg Abbott in May 2021, coming into effect on 2 September 2021.
Texas Right to Life had previously reported that between 75 to 100 unborn babies were consequently saved from abortion every day, as reported by SPUC. Responding to the most recent study, Kimberlyn Schwartz of Texas Right to Life lauded “the historic, life-saving impact of our pro-life law”.
In recent years, Texas has increased funding to its Alternatives to Abortion scheme to $140 million for 2024-25, helping mothers and their unborn children.
Another recent study reported 32,260 fewer abortions in the United States between July to December 2022 in the aftermath of the US Supreme Court’s repeal of Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
A pro-abortion group has estimated that there could be 60,000 fewer abortions in 2023 because of the Court’s ruling.
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “This study confirms the truly life-saving impact of pro-life laws. There are thousands of people alive today because of such legislation and the efforts of individuals and groups working towards a world where abortion is unthinkable.
“The pro-life movement in the United States is changing the narrative on abortion and saving lives, also showing what might be achieved in the UK. SPUC is laying the groundwork for that change.”
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