Unsafe abortion is a persistent, preventable
pandemic. WHO defines unsafe abortion as
a procedure for terminating an unintended
pregnancy either by individuals without
the necessary skills or in an environment
that does not conform to minimum medical
standards, or both.1
Unsafe abortion mainly
endangers women in developing countries
where abortion is highly restricted by law and
countries where, although legally permitted,
safe abortion is not easily accessible. In these
settings, women faced with an unintended
pregnancy often self-induce abortions or
obtain clandestine abortions from medical
practitioners,2
paramedical workers, or
traditional healers.3 By contrast, legal abortion
in industrialised nations has emerged as one
of the safest procedures in contemporary
medical practice, with minimum morbidity
and a negligible risk of death.4
As with AIDS,
the disparity between the health of women
in developed and developing countries is stark.
Unsafe abortion remains one of the most neglected
sexual and reproductive health problems in the
world today. This article will describe the scope
of the problem of unsafe abortion, estimate its
mortality and morbidity, document the relation
between laws and women’s health, estimate
costs, and describe prevention strategies. The
key messages are presented in panel 1