Haddad Lisa B, Nour Nawal M
Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Spring;2(2):122-6.
Every year, worldwide, about 42 million women with unintended pregnancies choose abortion, and nearly half of these procedures, 20 million, are unsafe. Some 68,000 women die of unsafe abortion annually, making it one of the leading causes of maternal mortality (13%). Of the women who survive unsafe abortion, 5 million will suffer long-term health complications. Unsafe abortion is thus a pressing issue. Both of the primary methods for preventing unsafe abortion-less restrictive abortion laws and greater contraceptive use-face social, religious, and political obstacles, particularly in developing nations, where most unsafe abortions (97%) occur. Even where these obstacles are overcome, women and health care providers need to be educated about contraception and the availability of legal and safe abortion, and women need better access to safe abortion and postabortion services. Otherwise, desperate women, facing the financial burdens and social stigma of unintended pregnancy and believing they have no other option, will continue to risk their lives by undergoing unsafe abortions.
全球范围内，每年约有4200万意外怀孕的女性选择堕胎，其中近一半（2000万）的堕胎手术不安全。每年约有6.8万名女性死于不安全堕胎，这使其成为孕产妇死亡的主要原因之一（占13%）。在不安全堕胎中幸存的女性，有500万将遭受长期健康并发症。因此，不安全堕胎是一个紧迫的问题。预防不安全堕胎的两种主要方法——放宽堕胎法律限制和增加避孕措施的使用——都面临社会、宗教和政治障碍，尤其是在发展中国家，那里发生了大多数不安全堕胎事件（97%）。即使克服了这些障碍，也需要对女性和医疗服务提供者进行避孕以及合法安全堕胎可及性方面的教育，而且女性需要更好地获得安全堕胎及堕胎后服务。否则，绝望的女性面对意外怀孕带来的经济负担和社会耻辱，又认为别无选择，将继续冒着生命危险接受不安全堕胎。
