Unsafe Abortion: The Preventable Pandemic

To what extent is unsafe abortion a global problem? What is the incidence and impact in different regions, and what have recent trends meant for access to safe and legal abortion services? What is clear, is that health statistics often underreport the incidence of these procedures. This paper argues that women around the world undergo unsafe abortion for reasons including poverty, relationship problems, risks to maternal or foetal health, and pregnancy resulting from rape or incest. But significant regional differences exist in terms of the age-group of women most likely to have unsafe abortions. While 20-50 percent of women who undergo unsafe abortions require subsequent hospital treatment for complications, many do not associate other health conditions with an earlier unsafe abortion. And those who conduct such procedures often effectively discourage clients from reporting them to authorities. Unsafe abortions remain most common in countries with the most restrictive legislations, but where abortion has been legalised e.g. South Africa, the rates of severe complications have fallen significantly. Women's access to safe abortion also strongly depends on their awareness of the law. Governments often do not have the political will to act, despite available and inexpensive remedies, and despite knowing that benefits would be felt beyond women themselves to their families and future generations.