Do restrictive abortion laws actually reduce abortion? A global map offers insights

May 27, 2022
Michaeleen Doucleff

In countries where abortion is illegal, are there fewer abortions?

The question sounds simple. But it's tough to answer, says social demographer Jonathan Bearak at the Guttmacher Institute. That's largely because, in places with strict abortion laws, the procedure is almost completely hidden. So estimating the rate of abortions is extremely difficult.

Continued: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/05/27/1099739656/do-restrictive-abortion-laws-actually-reduce-abortion-a-global-map-offers-insigh


Ghana records 266,000 abortions in 4 years

A newly released model of estimates for pregnancies and abortions in the world shows that some 266,000 abortions were done in Ghana within four years.

March 26, 2022
The Pulse

The Guttmacher Institute, the World Health Organisation and the UN’s Human Reproduction Programme (HRP) released the first-ever model-based estimates of unintended pregnancy and abortion rates for 150 countries, highlighting major disparities in access to sexual and reproductive health care.

The study analyses rates from 2015 to 2019, with the aim of providing deeper insights into access to sexual and reproductive health services in countries of all income levels across the globe.

Continued; https://www.pulse.com.gh/news/local/ghana-records-266000-abortions-in-4-years/n2dmvvv


Inequalities in accessing sexual, reproductive healthcare persist: WHO study

Rates of unintended pregnancies, abortions vary widely within the same region and geographies, it says

By Taran Deol
Published: Friday 25 March 2022

The world has not been successful in reducing inequalities concerning access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, according to a new study by the World Health Organization (WHO).

This is reflected by the fact that the rates of unintended pregnancies and abortions vary widely within the same region and geographies. The income level of a country does not impact these indicators, contrary to general assumptions.

Continued: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/health/inequalities-in-accessing-sexual-reproductive-healthcare-persist-who-study-82097


WHO publishes first-ever country estimates on unintended pregnancy, abortion

24 March 2022
United Nations

Data analysis on unintended pregnancy and abortion from 150 countries has revealed major disparities in accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare, the UN health agency, WHO, said on Thursday.

With partner organisation the Guttmacher Institute, the WHO said that the results would allow health authorities to better understand family planning needs in their countries, including contraception and abortion care.

Continued: https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/03/1114642


Unintended Pregnancy Rates Declined Globally from 1990 to 2014

Unintended Pregnancy Rates Declined Globally from 1990 to 2014
Larger Declines in Developed Than Developing Regions

March 5, 2018
News Release, Guttmacher Institute

Rates of unintended pregnancy have decreased globally since 1990, according to a new study published today in The Lancet Global Health. While the unintended pregnancy rate fell worldwide from 1990–1994 to 2010–2014, it dropped less sharply in developing regions (16%) than in developed regions (30%). “Global, Regional, and Subregional Trends in Unintended Pregnancy and Its Outcomes from 1990 to 2014,” by Guttmacher Institute researcher Jonathan Bearak and colleagues, highlights the incidence of unintended pregnancies in all world regions, using an updated methodology and a broader evidence base than past studies to examine changes over time.

The researchers found that during the most recent period (2010–2014), an estimated 44% of pregnancies worldwide were unintended. This translates to a rate of 62 unintended pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15–44, a decrease from 74 per 1,000 women in 1990–1994.

Continued: https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2018/unintended-pregnancy-rates-declined-globally-1990-2014