unwanted pregnancy. unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion ( 2 ) an unwanted pregnancy is a...

UNWANTED PREGNANCY

unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion( 2 )

An unwanted pregnancy is a pregnancy that a woman or girl decides, of her own free will, is undesired.

Nearly 40% of the nearly 182 million pregnancies each year in the developing world are unwanted or ill-timed. 46 million unwanted pregnancies end in abortion each year, 20 million of which are unsafe.

Unwanted pregnancy


Non-use of available contraceptives, due to

Lack of information, limited access to services, financial constraints, personal beliefs, family objections, and/or health concerns

Misinformation about reproduction

Adolescents are susceptible to unwanted pregnancy and the risks of early and unprotected sexual activity because they lack information and services

Sexual coercion, abuse, or rape

20% to 50% of all women report having experienced sexual violence

Contraceptive failure

Leads to an estimated 8-30 million pregnancies each year

Causes of unwanted pregnancy


Emergency contraception (EC)

Contraceptive methods women canuse to prevent unwanted pregnancyin the first few days followingunprotected sex.

The most common method of EC isto take a specific increased dose oforal contraceptive pills within 72hours of intercourse. EC does notcause abortion.

EC is especially appropriate for women who have experienced condom failure or sexual coercion.


Family planning decreases unwanted pregnancy and the need for abortion

Unmet need for contraception

Worldwide between 120 and 150 million married women — and up to 15 million unmarried women — who want to limitor space future pregnancies are not using a contraceptive method.

Family planning services must:

Be available to married and unmarried people

Offer a range of methods appropriate to clients’ needs

Be provided in a confidential and non-judgmental manner

Access to and correct use of family planning methods can prevent many unwanted pregnancies and reduce the need for abortion.


Consequences of unwanted pregnancy

Unwanted pregnancy has significant consequences for women and their families, including:

Unwanted and early marriage

Constrained opportunities for education or employment

Social stigma for unmarried women/girls

Additional strain on family resources for food, education, and health care

Unsafe abortion, which may result in long-term illness, emotional distress, and death

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UNSAFE ABORTION

Unsafe abortion is the termination of a pregnancy carried out by someone without the skills or training to perform the procedure safely, or in a place that does not meet minimal medical standards, or both.

Approximately 20 million unsafe abortions take place each year. More than 200 women die every day from complications of unsafe abortion. 99.9% of abortion-related deaths and complications occur in the developing world.

Unsafe abortion


World’s abortion laws

Even where abortion is permitted by law, women often encounter obstacles when seeking to end a pregnancy, including: high cost, difficult access, inadequate facilities, social stigma, and poorly trained and unsympathetic medical personnel.

Percentage of world’s women living in countries where abortion is permitted,various conditions

unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion

.4%

25%

10%

3%

20%

42%

Prohibited entirely

To save a woman's life

Physical healthMental health

Socioeconomic grounds

Without restrictions

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Deaths from unsafe abortion (per year)


0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

Africa Asia Latin America & Caribbean Europe

34,000

38,500

5,000

500

Unsafe abortion: Global and Regional Estimates of incidence of and Mortality – World Health Organization

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Social and economic costs ofunsafe abortion


Some hospitals in developing countries spend as much as 50% of their obstetric and gynecological budgetstreating complications of unsafe abortion.

Disabilities resulting from complications of unsafe abortion may also:

limit women’s productivity inside and outside of the home

constrain their ability to care for their children

adversely affect sexual relations

When mothers die from abortion-related complications, their families lose a primary care giver and in many cases, a primary wage earner as well.

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Unsafe abortion is a public health concern that affects the livesof tens of thousands of women, children, and families each year.

Public policy and laws must respect and promote women’s health and rights, by:

Ensuring that changes in abortion laws are accompanied by supportive policies and service delivery guidelines that promote safe, high quality services

Ensuring greater access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, including high quality care for abortion complications and safe services for legal termination of pregnancy

Refraining from prosecuting women who have had abortions

Addressing unsafe abortion


Safe and legal abortion services

Women must know of and have access to safe, high quality abortion services to the extent permitted by national laws.

Providers must:

Be well-informed about the status of the law

Offer women high quality services and a choice of appropriate technologies

Provide confidential, compassionate counseling


Postabortion care includes:

Emergency treatment ofabortion complications

Family planning counseling and services

Linkages to a full range of reproductive health services

Community participation to help prevent unwanted pregnancies and ensure that women suffering from postabortion complications receive the care they need in a timely manner.

Postabortion care services should be offered in a compassionate,non-judgmental manner.

Postabortion care saves livesPostabortion care must be available towomen suffering from complications ofspontaneous and induced abortions.


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