In 2025, a quiet but powerful shift is happening across the United States: more women than ever are seeking life-affirming support during unexpected pregnancies.
At Heartbeat International, an international network of pregnancy help organizations, our 24/7 Option Line contact center has connected with more than 750,000 women already this year alone—nearly double the anticipated annual volume.
Women call, text, and chat to get information, counseling, and practical resources, and their experiences reveal a simple truth: when women know they have support, they make life-affirming choices.
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Established in 2003, Option Line is the only fully staffed, bilingual pro-life contact center in the U.S., connecting women with their local pregnancy help organization.
Option Line provides consultation on abortion, adoption, and parenting, and schedules appointments in real-time through a state-of-the-art system, helping women get the help they need in the moment as well as long-term support at their local pregnancy help organization.
This surge in demand reflects a growing need for practical help and compassionate guidance.
One mother told our team, “I just want you to know that you saved me tonight. If you hadn’t picked up the phone, I don’t know what would have happened to me, and I thank you for that.”
Another shared, “I thought I could go through with it [the abortion] but once I was in the abortion clinic I walked out. I never wanted to have an abortion but felt pressured and felt I had no choice. I am glad I have your number.”
These stories are not abstract statistics – they are daughters, sisters, and mothers navigating difficult decisions under pressure. They remind us that choice is meaningful only when women have real options.
The trend extends to women who have begun a chemical abortion and seek to reverse it.
The Abortion Pill Rescue® Network, which connects women with healthcare providers who can administer progesterone therapy in early-stage chemical abortions, has grown from 150 new starts per month last year to over 200 per month this year.
One mother reflected on the reversal saving her son:
“He was the piece I never knew I was missing, and I can’t imagine life without him.”
Another said simply,
“We picked up the progesterone, and the rest is history. It was the best decision ever.”
These stories show that timely medical care combined with compassionate counseling can create genuine second chances.
The implications of this surge reach beyond individual stories.
Policymakers and healthcare providers must ask whether women are being given access to comprehensive support at the moments they need it most. Evidence from programs like Option Line and the Abortion Pill Rescue® demonstrates that when women are provided with guidance, counseling, and practical help, many choose to carry their pregnancies to term, with lasting benefits for families and communities.
This rise in contacts may even reflect a cultural shift: women are no longer silently navigating crises alone. They are actively seeking help, exploring alternatives, and exercising agency in their decision-making.
One mother who reached out through Option Line shared,
“I’ve been thinking a lot about everything, and I’ve decided I’m going to keep the baby.”
Her story, like thousands of others, illustrates the impact that access to life-affirming support can have.
In a country often consumed by polarized debates over “reproductive rights,” these numbers and stories provide an important perspective. Women are reaching out. Lives are being changed. And when society responds with compassion, practical support, and accessible resources, more mothers carry their pregnancies to term, and more children are welcomed into loving homes.
LifeNews Note: Andrea Trudden serves as the Vice President of Communications & Marketing at Heartbeat International, overseeing the public presence of the organization and its network of more than 3,600 pregnancy help organizations worldwide. This column originally appeared at Pregnancy Help News.
