The term "pro-life" has been typically referring to the position protecting the life and rights of the fetus or embryo. But does not being "pro-life" also mean that you should support the life of the woman who has an unplanned pregnancy? In the United States, the maternal mortality rate is consistently the highest or near the top when compared to the rate in other developed countries. In other words, more U.S., women die from pregnancy and delivery in our country than other developed countries. This is at least in part due to the lack of availability of contraception for many women- due to lack of insurance or insurance restrictions, etc. It is also due to the reality that many women in our country do not have practical access to abortion when they feel that is their best option. Safe legal abortion is a much safer course for a woman to take since the risk of death from abortion is less than 1 in 100,000.
That does not mean that every woman should have an abortion. It just means that when pregnancy is unplanned and the woman believes her best course is to not carry the pregnancy to term, that she should have the legal right to determine the safest course for her health. I cannot think of any other medical situation in our country where we tell a person that they must take the course that increases their risk of dying. What does it mean to be "pro-life"? I explain in my book why I am "pro-choice/pro-life".
See more thoughts in my book "What Should I Do? "