In 2008, according to the Guttmacher Institute, there were approximately 1.21 million induced abortions in the U.S. According to the CDC [PDF], the leading causes of death in the U.S. in 2008 were as follows:

Total ‘all’ causes: 2,471,984 [does not include abortion]

1. Heart disease: 616,828 — 25.0% of total deaths

2. Malignant cancer: 565,469 — 22.9% of total deaths

3. Lung disease: 141,090 — 5.7% of total deaths

4. Stroke: 134,148 — 5.4% of total deaths

5. Accidents: 121,902 — 4.9% of total deaths

[…]

But if we include deaths due to induced abortion, the numbers change radically.

Total all causes: 3,681,984 [includes induced abortion]

1. Abortion: 1,210,000 — 32.9% of total deaths

2. Heart disease: 616,828 — 16.8% of total deaths

3. Malignant cancer: 565,469 — 15.4% of total deaths

4. Lung disease: 141,090 — 3.8% of total deaths

5. Stroke: 134,148 — 3.6% of total deaths

6. Accidents: 121,902 — 3.3% of total deaths

[…]

When we include abortions, the total number of deaths is 49% higher. The number of deaths from abortion is greater than the number of deaths from heart disease and cancer combined. Abortion is by far the leading cause of death in the U.S. One third of all deaths in the U.S. is caused by abortion, which is a type of murder.

According to the FBI, there were 14,180 murder victims in 2008. If we include abortion as a type of murder, 98.84% of murders were abortions, and only 1.16% of murders were from all other types of murder.

How many early abortions were caused by abortifacient contraception in 2008? There is not even a rough estimate available. However, the CDC reports [PDF] that in 2008 approx. 10.7 million women in the U.S. used oral contraceptives. So the number of abortions from abortifacient contraception may be in the millions.

by

Ronald L. Conte Jr.

Roman Catholic moral theologian and

translator of the Catholic Public Domain Version of the Bible.