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.

Related Videos
Fezolinetant effective against vasomotor symptoms | Image Credit: med.unc.edu
Discussing PCOS: misconceptions, management, encouragement | Image Credit: ahn.org
The importance of diversity in obstetrics | Image Credit: © stanfordchildrens.org
Study confirms efficacy of JADA against postpartum bleeding | Image Credit: © Amy Taneja MD - © Amy Taneja MD - linkedin.com.
Matthew Zerden, MD
John Stanley, MD
Marci Bowers, MD | Image Credit: Marcibowers.com
Related Content
© 2023 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.