Improved medical and contraception services have led to a 25-year low in abortion rates in developed countries, according to a study published today.
Researchers say this has not happened in developing countries – where abortions are often unsafe and illegal.
The research is published today in The Lancet.
The researchers say that since 1990 the rate of abortions for every 1,000 women has fallen from 46 to 27 in the developed world. This is mainly because of a big reduction in rates in Eastern Europe following the collapse of communism.
In these countries the proportion of pregnancies ending in abortion has declined from 39% to 28%.
In the developing world the rate of abortion has fallen from 39 to 37 per 1,000 women.
Researchers say access to good contraceptive services is the key to reducing the world’s 56 million annual toll of abortions.
They say that banning abortion has no impact on the number of procedures performed.
Researcher Dr Gilda Sedgh, of the Guttmacher Institute, New York, USA, said: “In developed countries, the continued fall in abortion rates is largely due to increased use of modern contraception that has given women greater control over the timing and number of children they want.
“In developing countries, however, family planning services do not seem to be keeping up with the increasing desire for smaller families."
Lancet 12 May 2016 [abstract]
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