The Facts:
Internationally, access to safe abortion services is constrained, raising significant public health concerns for women:
Globally:
- 190 women worldwide face an unintended pregnancy every minute.
- “More than one quarter of pregnancies worldwide, about 52 million annually, end in abortion. This is the proportion in Latin America, where abortion is generally illegal, as well as in the United States and China, where the procedure is legally available.”
- Despite the fact that 90% of countries permit abortion to save the life of a woman, women are still subjected to dangerous conditions that result in death or injury.
- Of the nearly 46 million terminations performed worldwide annually, 20 million women obtain unsafe abortions, mostly in developing countries. Every hour, eight of these women will die.
- 68,000 women die each year as a result of an unsafe abortion performed by individuals lacking the skills necessary, and/or in a facility lacking appropriate medical standards and protocol.
- Unsafe abortion can cause long-term health problems that range from chronic pelvic pain to infertility
While safe abortion services are available in the U.S., women struggle to find access to prevention or care.
In the United States:
- Nearly half of the 6.3 million pregnancies that occur in the U.S. each year are unintended. Half of these pregnancies will end in abortion. Given the current rate, nearly one-third of American women will have had at least one abortion by the age of 45.
- There is a serious lack of access to abortion in this country, which can and has lead to women seeking unsafe alternatives:
87% of U.S. counties have no abortion provider;
Nearly 1 in 4 women travel over 50 miles for a provider;
8% travel more than 100 miles;
Nearly 60% of ob/gyns performing abortions are over the age of 50.
An estimated 200,000 women each year need some amount of financial assistance in order to obtain an abortion.
What Can Be Done:
- Ensure women around the world have access to safe, legal, and financially accessible abortion.
- Repeal the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal Medicaid funds from paying for abortion except in cases of rape or incest.
- Implement provisions of existing international agreements, such as the ICPD Programme of Action:
“All Governments and relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are urged to strengthen their commitment to women’s health, to deal with the health impact of unsafe abortion as a major public health concern and to reduce the recourse to abortion through expanded and improved family planning services.”
Expert Resources:
ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project
Association of Reproductive Health Professionals
Center for Reproductive Rights
National Network of Abortion Funds
Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Reproductive Health Access Project
