We number thousands of members and associates, and held the title of “special interest group” within ACOG for 40 years, from 1973 until 2013, until ACOG discontinued the designation of “special interest group.”

Our purpose is to reaffirm the unique value and dignity of individual human life in all stages of growth and development from fertilization onward. Strong voices within our culture (and within our professional College) espouse elective abortion on demand as a standard of care for unwanted pregnancies. Often perinatologists are quick to recommend abortion as a “final solution” for “defective” in utero babies. We oppose these values. Be assured that there are many in this specialty who hold our view of the intrinsic value of all human life. We view the physician’s role as a caregiver, responsible, as far as possible, for the well-being of both the mother and her unborn child.

We are extremely concerned about the potential long term adverse consequences of abortion on a woman’s future health. We realize that, in the United States, reporting of both abortions and associated complications is generally not adequate to provide meaningful conclusions. We continue to explore data from around the world regarding abortion associated complications (such as depression, substance abuse, suicide, other pregnancy associated mortality, subsequent preterm birth, placenta previa, and breast cancer) in order to provide a realistic appreciation of abortion-related health risks.

The physician’s right of conscience in medical decision making is, and will continue to be, a crucial part of our advocacy on behalf of pro-life physicians. And we are concerned about the “universal access to abortion” and the “abortion as a fundamental human right” pressures that are internationally being brought to bear on nations and individuals by the U.N. and other entities.

We encourage our members to participate, whenever possible, with Pregnancy Resource Centers and other programs helping women with “crisis pregnancies.”