Pro-Life Movement

The pro-life movement, also referred to as the right to life movement or antiabortion movement, is copmosed of several distinct forms of activism: political lobbying, direct action, crisis pregnancy centers, awareness-raising campaigns, “postabortion” advocacy groups, and secular/nonpartisan efforts. Some factions within the movement are increasingly likely to address women in unplanned pregnancies as opposed to an exclusive focus on the rights of the fetus and subsequently have adopted a public health framework that downplays the religious motivations of many activists. Others groups take a deliberately secular approach. Recent developments such as the movement's successful efforts to block public funding of abortion in federal healthcare reform legislation indicates the movement is a significant social force in the United States. Abortion rights advocates respond to these efforts ...