UNSAFE ABORTIONS

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that in developing countries, every eight minutes a woman dies due
to complications arising from unsafe abortions making it a leading cause of maternal mortality (13%).1 An unsafe abortion
is a procedure for terminating an unintended pregnancy carried out either by persons lacking the necessary skills or in an
environment that does not provide minimal medical standards, or both.2
Unintended and unwanted pregnancies result from improper family planning mainly due to absence of use of any means of
contraception. According to the National Family Health Survey-3(2005-2006), nearly 21% of pregnancies are either
unwanted or mistimed. Globally too, the unmet need for contraception remains a problem.1

THE BURDEN OF UNSAFE THE UNMET NEED

ABORTIONS The burden of unsafe abortion is contributed not
only by the women and families, but also by the
The burden of unsafe induced abortion is
public health system (Table).2 Hazardous abortion
developing countries like India is too high. 1 In
is often done clandestinely by untrained
Western nations, only 3% of abortions are unsafe,
individuals or by the pregnant women themselves.
whereas in developing nations 55% abortions are
During an unsafe abortion, the additional risks of
unsafe.2 Around 5 million women are hospitalised
maternal morbidity and mortality depend on what
globally each year, for treatment of
method of abortion is used, the quality of the
abortion-related complications such as bleeding
facility they reach, the qualifications (and
and sepsis, leaving around 220,000 children
tolerance) of the health provider as well as on
motherless due to abortion-related deaths.1
women’s readiness to seek postabortion care.2

REASONS FOR UNSAFE ABORTIONS

Issues with women and families Issues with healthcare facilities Legal issues

• Low position of women in • Unqualified and unskilled local • Restrictive abortion laws1,2
society - Decision to use family providers for abortion1,2 • Stringent and inflexible nature
planning methods taken by the • Poor quality of care 1
of Pre-Conception, and
husband/family1 Pre-Natal Diagnostic
• Procedural barriers at
• Failure to use any method of government health facilities Techniques Act1
contraception (owing to particularly for underprivileged
unwillingness, religious sections and migrant women1
objections, lack of awareness
of the availability of
contraceptive methods,
concerns about possible health
risks and side effects, and the
mistaken belief that one cannot
or will not become pregnant)1,2
• Hazardous methods of unsafe
abortion used by women2
REMOVING THE BOTTLENECKS

Unmet need for family planning, especially high among groups such as adolescents, migrants,
urban slum dwellers, refugees and women in postpartum period needs to be primarily addressed1

Prevention of unintended pregnancy by increasing education

and contraceptive services should be a priority2

Public health facilities should be more accommodative,

procedural barriers need to be minimised1

Government health facilities should work at providing timely quality abortion services to the
underprivileged populations like slum dwellers and migrants1

Abortion laws need to be liberalized to openly provide

services by skilled practitioners2

References:
Abu Bashar M, Bhattacharya S, Singh A. Unsafe Abortions in India: Removing the Bottlenecks. Int J Med. Public Health. 2018; 8(1):42-44.
Haddad LB, Nour NM. Unsafe Abortion: Unnecessary Maternal Mortality. Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2009; 2(2): 122–126.