The Global Burden of Unsafe Abortion and the Need for Improved Access to Safe Reproductive Health Care

Abstract

Unsafe abortion is a medical crisis and a neglected public health problem. It remains a significant public health issue globally, contributing to high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality that is prevalent in most part of the world and puts women who are of reproductive age in grave danger. Despite being a preventable condition, progress in addressing unsafe abortion remains minimal, highlighting a critical violation of women's human rights. It is deeply intertwined with human rights, social justice, and gender equality. Several factors contribute to the ongoing public health crisis surrounding unsafe abortions which includes restricted abortion law, poor quality of health service, criminalization, stigmatization and low community awareness which prevents women access to proper and safe abortion services. The consequences of unsafe abortions extend beyond immediate health risks, affecting women's long-term physical and psychological well-being, and imposing substantial costs on healthcare systems, with up to 50% of women requiring medical care for complications such as infection, hemorrhage, poison, sepsis, peritonitis, and trauma to the cervix, psychological consequences such as shame and anxiety and other long-term issues like infertility, ectopic pregnancy and pelvic inflammatory disease. Addressing these issues through improved access to safe abortion services and comprehensive reproductive health education is essential for reducing maternal mortality and achieving sustainable development goals globally. Thus, the purpose of this review is to draw attention to the harm that unsafe abortion causes to the world and the necessity of expanding access to quality reproductive health care.