Image – Shutterstock: Svitlana Hulko
A new study has revealed a marked rise in the number of women turning to pregnancy resource centres in the aftermath of the United States Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling.
According to research published by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, the academic arm of the pro life organisation SBA Pro Life America, these centres supported more than one million clients in 2024. It is the first time they have crossed this threshold and represents a significant increase from the 974,965 clients recorded in 2022, the year the federal right to abortion was overturned and decision making returned to individual states.
The findings draw on data from approximately 3,000 centres across the country. Collectively, these facilities invested nearly half a billion dollars in supporting women and families. The value of practical goods provided, including prams, nappies, clothing, and cribs, rose by almost half compared with 2022. These items play a vital role for women who may be facing financial pressure, uncertainty, or a lack of stable support.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro Life America, noted that pregnancy resource centres have become increasingly essential at a time when the number of abortions has risen, partly due to the widespread availability of abortion pills by post. She contrasted the holistic approach of those pregnancy centres with the transactional model of abortion providers. She argued that the latter simply supply medication without addressing the underlying challenges a woman may face.
In her view, these centres make a meaningful difference by engaging with the real difficulties in women’s lives. These can include addiction, domestic violence, homelessness, or the simple yet significant struggle of travelling to work each day in order to provide for a family. Many women also require educational support or reassurance as they try to build a future for themselves and their children. Dannenfelser suggested that, with the right community around them, women feel better equipped to choose life for both their babies and themselves.
Pregnancy resource centres have faced strong criticism from pro-abortion opponents, often being accused of misleading donors and clients, or of overstating their medical capabilities. A legal challenge on this issue is currently before the Supreme Court, which is expected to hear arguments in the coming weeks.
Even so, the report highlights the breadth of services these centres offer. These range from counselling and adoption referrals to medical support such as ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, screening for sexually transmitted infections, and assistance for women seeking to reverse the effects of abortion medication.
The Charlotte Lozier Institute also found that more than sixty per cent of women who have undergone abortions would have preferred to give birth if they had received stronger emotional and financial support. This insight underscores a reality that pro life advocates have long emphasised. When women are offered compassion, resources, and genuine community, many discover that choosing life is both possible and empowering.
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