Contraception use lowers abortion rate, but 70,000 women die each year from the effects of unsafe abortion

A major new Guttmacher Institute report released today entitled “Abortion Worldwide: A Decade of Uneven Progress” reveals that abortion and unintended pregnancy rates have declined worldwide as contraceptive use increases. However, unsafe abortion remains a key challenge to women’s health. Leading sexual health charity Marie Stopes International makes the following statement:

“This new report confirms what Marie Stopes International has known for decades - that global increases in the use of modern family planning methods have contributed to a decrease in the number of unintended pregnancies and, in turn, a decline in the number of abortions. Through its programmes in 43 countries, Marie Stopes International provides a full range of modern contraceptive methods to offer women the widest possible choice and in 2008 provided 143 million condoms, 7.9 million contraceptive pills and 779,000 contraceptive injections to meet women’s reproductive health needs.

"However, as the new report notes, whilst both the developed and the developing world experienced positive trends in increased contraceptive use, developed regions saw the greatest progress. In order to achieve a lasting lower rate of abortion globally, people in both developed countries and the developing world need access to contraceptive services and information in an environment which is politically, economically and culturally supportive of their basic human right to choose whether, and when, to have children.

"The decline in worldwide abortion numbers occurred alongside a global trend toward liberalising abortion laws, revealing that giving women the legal right to abortion does not mean that numbers of abortions will increase. Nevertheless, 40% of women of childbearing age (15-44) still live in countries with highly restrictive abortion laws. Abortion, when legal and provided with care by skilled practitioners, is one of the simplest and safest procedures known to medical science. But in the absence of safe, lawful services, women risk their lives accessing unsafe, back street abortions often performed by unqualified practitioners, or by trying to self-induce abortion using dangerous methods; 70,000 women die each year from the effects of unsafe abortion. This is unacceptable, given that such deaths are preventable.

"To reduce unsafe abortion and its consequences politicians, medical professionals and healthcare agencies need to expand contraceptive access to prevent unplanned conceptions. We also need to continue the struggle to achieve frameworks for safe, legal abortion wherever it is denied, to break-down the procedural, economic, informational and cultural barriers that currently prevent women from accessing services.”

All quotes are attributable to Tony Kerridge, Marie Stopes International spokesperson.

To access Abortion Worldwide: A Decade of Uneven Progress please visit: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/AWWfullreport.pdf

For media enquiries and spokesperson interview please contact:
Emily James: 0207 034 2307 / 07815 009257
Tony Kerridge: 0207 034 2365 / 07748 948 037

Categories: Abortion; Contraception

14/10/2009

Contraception use lowers abortion rate, but 70,000 women die each year from the effects of unsafe abortion

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