Action Alerts:
State of Nevada Prolife Issues

State Laws:

National Laws:
There are numerous federal laws and U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have impacted life issues. Find the complete list here.

Issue Summaries:
You will find a brief summary of important right to life issues below. For each issue, additional resources are provided for in-depth information.

Abortion
Fact: Abortion is the most frequently performed surgical procedure in the United States. (Source: Alan Guttmacher Institute)

Abortion ends a pregnancy by destroying and removing the developing child either in utero or while the child is being born (Partial Birth Abortion). Abortion is an act of violence that kills an unborn child and hurts the mother who has one. Since 1973, at least 38 million unborn children have been killed legally by the violence of abortion. This violence currently occurs 1.3 million times a year (3,300 times a day) in America. More information here.

Partial Birth Abortion
Fact: Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe abortion should be illegal after the first trimester. (Source: LA Times Poll, 2000) What exactly is partial birth abortion? Partial Birth Abortion is the late-term abortion procedure in which the infant is partially delivered feet first, the base of its head punctured with a pair of scissors, and its brain suctioned out through a tube. The National Right to Life Committee has an animated video demonstrating the procedure. Also on this page are articles and links to in-depth information on this issue. Partial Birth Abortion video.

Emergency Contraception/Morning After Pill
Fact: 2% of those participating in U.S. trials of RU486 hemorrhaged and one out of a 100 had to be hospitalized. (Source: FDA Mifepristone Hearing)

On September 28, 2000, the Clinton-Gore Administration's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the sale of RU-486 (mifepristone) for the performance of abortions up to 49 days after the beginning of the last menstrual period. You fill find additional medical information here.

Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide
Fact: Studies examining the psychological background of individuals who kill themselves show that 95% have a diagnosable mental disorder at the time of death. (Source: New York State Task Force on Life and the Law)

Euthanasia is the purposeful killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his/her alleged benefit. Euthanasia has been advocated for certain classes of human beings, including the handicapped young, the mentally impaired, the terminally ill and the comatose. Find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about euthanasia here.

Human Cloning
Fact: At the present time some biotechnology firms are seeking to create cloned human embryos in order to patent and sell them at great profit for use as medical models and a potential source of baby body parts.

The best source for up to date information about this critical debate is the National Right to Life Committee's fact sheet. You will find information and commentary refuting misconceptions about human cloning that are being disseminated by some advocates of human cloning for research and by some journalists.

Stem Cell Research
Fact: Not all stem cell research is the same! Stem cells derived from adult sources and from the umbilical cord of newborns have resulted in amazing medical breakthroughs in the treatment of numerous diseases. At this time embryonic stem cell research, which involves the destruction of life, has had no such success and in fact has in several studies shown tragic results (tumor growth and abnormalities).

Because they have not yet differentiated and have not yet specialized, stem cells are thought to have the potential to develop into a variety of healthy tissues, theoretically able to replace defective or diseased organs. Scientists believe they hold out exciting possibilities of curing or delaying many diseases and disabilities. These wonder cells can be obtained from the core of a one week old embryonic being, (thereby killing it), or from a newborn baby’s umbilical cord. However, adult stem cell therapies continue to provide the greatest success while decreasing the chance of rejection. There are no ethical problems with this method or those involving umbilical cord blood. Nevada Right to Life supports Adult and umbilical cord blood stem cell research. More information.