Annual abortions down worldwide, but may remain unsafe

Article

The estimated number of induced abortions worldwide fell between 1995 and 2003; however, almost half of abortions worldwide in 2003 could be classified a "unsafe."

The estimated number of induced abortions worldwide fell between 1995 and 2003; however, almost half of abortions worldwide in 2003 could be classified as "unsafe," according to research published in the Oct. 13 issue of The Lancet.

Gilda Sedgh, ScD, of the Guttmacher Institute in New York City, with colleagues collected data on induced abortion rates from national surveys and published sources, correcting for underreporting as necessary. "Safe" abortions were defined as those meeting legal requirements in countries where abortion is legally permitted. "Unsafe" abortions were defined as those performed by unskilled personnel or in a substandard environment.

The authors found that the estimated annual number of abortions fell worldwide from 46 million in 1995 to 42 million in 2003. The region with the lowest abortion rate was western Europe (12 per 1,000 women). The rate in North America was 21 per 1,000 women. Forty-eight percent of abortions worldwide were deemed unsafe, and almost all of these were in developing countries.

Sedgh G, Henshaw S, Singh S, et al. Induced abortion: estimated rates and trends worldwide. Lancet. 2007;370:1338-1345.

Recent Videos
Expert discussions from the 2025 ACOG meeting | Image Credit: © stevengaertner - © stevengaertner - stock.adobe.com.
Trina Mansour, MD
Negative pressure wound therapy reduces c-section infections and costs | Image Credit: doctors.valleyhealth.com.
Amy Valent DO, MCR, highlights new tech for prenatal diabetes management | Image Credit: linkedin.com.
Lisa Bayer, MD, MPH
Megan Wasson, DO, FACOG
Megan Cohen, MD, MPH, outlines 2024 CDC contraception guidelines | Image Credit: linkedin.com.
Wasson and Colak
Johanna Finkle, MD, weight loss specialist, OB/GYN, The University of Kansas Health System.
Navigating hormone therapy in high-risk menopause cases | Image Credit: © dhaj7-cepo.com.
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.