gms | German Medical Science

According the figures of the United Nations there are an estimated almost 250 million pregnancies around the world each year. Approximately 50% of these, or 121 million, are unwanted. 270 million women and girls have an unmet need for contraception. Where women do not have access to safe abortion services, many unwanted pregnancies are terminated using unsafe procedures that can lead to the woman’s death or disability. 60% (73 million) of unintended pregnancies end in abortion. 45% (25 million) of all abortions are unsafe. 68,000 women die from complications of unsafe abortion. In some countries, unsafe abortion is the most common cause of maternal death. It is also one of the most easily preventable and treatable reasons of maternal mortality. Among the most vulnerable groups: adolescents, the poor, those living in rural areas and urban slums, migrants and internally displaced people. The WHO identifies access to modern and safe family planning methods as one of three main pillars to reduce global maternal mortality by 80%. According the United Nation Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women every woman has the right to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children and has the right to access to health care services, including those related to family planning.