Heartbeat International (pro-life organization)

For the pacemaker charity, see Heartbeat International (charity).

Heartbeat International is an international association of over 900 crisis pregnancy centers, providing assistance in education, training, support services, and networking with other centers.

Heartbeat International operates on an antiabortion philosophy. Thus, its clients do not perform, recommend, or refer clients for abortions.

Heartbeat International started in 1971 under the name Alternatives to Abortion (later Alternatives to Abortion International), in response to increased liberalization of abortion laws in several states (which would eventually culminate in Roe vs. Wade making abortion legal across the United States). Its founders believed that legalizing abortion would result in more, not fewer, abortions, as (in their opinion) women would be pressured into choosing abortion. Therefore, Alternatives to Abortion started as a humanitarian organization to provide a "safety net" of emergency pregnancy support as a counter to the pressure to abort. The organization adopted its current name in 1993.

Heartbeat International is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, United States.