Global Abortion Rates

by Liz Olson

Related Links Legal Abortions in Selected Countries Abortion in the United States World Health Organization

Research done by scientists from the World Health Organization in Geneva and the Guttmacher Institute in New York, shows that outlawing abortion has not deterred women from seeking the procedure. In countries where abortion is legal, researchers found that abortion was safe, whereas in countries where it is illegal, the procedure is dangerous. Globally, there are 31 abortions for every 100 live births, and studies show that abortion accounts for 13% of women’s deaths during pregnancy and childbirth.

In October 2007, the WHO and the Guttmacher Institute released a study that showed a global picture of abortion trends, indicating that women are not influenced by the law in their decision to have an abortion. If it is illegal, women are seeking abortions in unsafe conditions by untrained people. In Ethiopia, where abortion is illegal, it is the second leading cause of death among women.

Data suggests that the best way to reduce abortion rates is to make contraception more available rather than banning the practice of abortions. The study found that in Eastern Europe, where contraception has become more accessible, abortion rates have decreased by 50%. After abortion was legalized in South Africa in 1996, for example, there was a 90% decrease in abortion-related deaths.

Anti-abortionists suggest that the major reason women die in developing countries is not because abortion is illegal, but because hospitals and health care in general are lacking, which would not necessarily change if abortion is legalized.

The study results showed that about 20 million unsafe abortions are performed worldwide every year. As a result of complications from abortions, 67,000 women die each year.

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