On May 23, Gallup released a poll showing that more than 50 percent of Americans identify themselves as pro-life, while only 41 percent identify themselves as pro-abortion.  They arrived at this number by tracking changes in American attitudes from 1995 until now.  And recently, this poll was complemented by a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that shows that the abortion rate for "nearly all demographic groups" has decreased considerably, and in some cases sharply, since the 1990s.

For example, among black citizens abortion has declined 23 percent, and among Hispanic citizens there has been a 32-percent decline.  And while such numbers are phenomenal, among other segments of the population the decline was even greater -- among whites it was 44 percent, and among teens it was a mind-boggling 55 percent.

Wow.  Fifty-five percent?!

This news dovetails perfectly with an earlier CDC report which showed that, against all odds, the percentage of female teens who had never engaged in sexual activity had increased by 16 percent since 1995.

When one considers the sex-driven marketing of everything from underwear to hamburgers in our culture, combined with the efforts Planned Parenthood has taken to offer and keep abortion services as discreet as possible, these numbers are simply astounding.  No wonder Planned Parenthood is worried and looking more and more like any other business rapidly losing market share.

And while the struggle to secure life still rages on, these figures offer a simple reminder that we are winning battles and changing hearts and minds.  And in this latest poll, there's empirical proof that those changed hearts are treasuring life instead of throwing it away.

Steven H. Aden is senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund (www.telladf.org), a legal alliance employing a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty and the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.  Aden heads ADF's work to defend the sanctity of life in court from its Washington, D.C. regional service center.