Abortion laws and policies

Abstract

Every year, at least 22,800 women die from complications related to abortion (Singh and others, 2018). Most of these deaths are due to unsafe abortions. Complications from unsafe abortion are believed to account for the largest proportion of hospital admissions for gynaecological services in developing countries (Singh, 2006). Almost all deaths and morbidity from unsafe abortion occur in countries where abortion is severely restricted in law or in practice (Grimes and others, 2006; Haddad and Nour, 2009). Maternal mortality ratios (number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) due to complications of unsafe abortion, for instance, are higher in regions with restrictive abortion laws than in regions with no or few restrictions on access to safe and legal abortion (United Nations, 2014; Shah and Ahman, 2009). According to the World Health Organization (2012), restricting legal access to abortion does not decrease the need for abortion, but it is likely to increase the number of women seeking illegal and unsafe abortions.