27 Jul WHO – New estimates show worldwide fall in unintended pregnancies since 1990-1994
Women in poorest countries at greater risk of unintended pregnancy and lack access to safe and legal abortion care services
New estimates, published in The Lancet Global Health, and jointly authored by the Guttmacher Institute and HRP, show a worldwide decline in unintended pregnancies since 1990-1994. Over the same period, the proportion of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion has increased.
These findings suggest that over the past 30 years, more women and individuals than ever before have been able to limit or space their pregnancies. This is possibly thanks to improved access to a choice of contraception, in addition to, and as part of, comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services including safe abortion care to the full extent of the law.
The new study looks at the incidence of unintended pregnancy and abortion by income, region, and the legal status of abortion from 1990 to 2019.