Iqbal Shah

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Daniel D. Hutto

University of Wollongong

Galen Strawson

The University of Texas at Austin

Judith L Green

University of California, Santa Barbara

E. Wayne Ross

University of British Columbia

Don Ross

University College Cork

Alejandra B Osorio

Wellesley College

David Seamon

Kansas State University

Shaun Gallagher

University of Memphis

Giulia Sissa

Ucla

Florin Curta

University of Florida

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Papers by Iqbal Shah

Unsafe Abortion: Worldwide Estimates for 2000

Reproductive Health Matters, 2002

Age Patterns of Unsafe Abortion in Developing Country Regions

Reproductive Health Matters, 2004

Globally, 19 million women are estimated to undergo unsafe abortions each year. Age patterns of u... more Globally, 19 million women are estimated to undergo unsafe abortions each year. Age patterns of unsafe abortion are critical for tailoring effective interventions to prevent unsafe abortion and for providing post-abortion care. This paper estimates the incidence and the rate of unsafe abortion among women aged 15-44 in the Africa, Asia (excluding Eastern Asia), and Latin America/Caribbean regions, where a woman is likely to have close to one unsafe abortion by age 44. For developing regions as a whole, two-thirds of unsafe abortions occur among women aged 15-30 and 14% among women under age 20. The age pattern of unsafe abortions differs markedly between regions, however. Almost 60% of unsafe abortions in Africa are among women under age 25 and almost 80% are among women under 30. In Asia 30% of unsafe abortions are in women under 25 and 60% in women under 30. In Latin America and the Caribbean, women aged 20-29 account for more than half of unsafe abortions with almost 70% in women under 30. Over 40% of unsafe abortions among adolescents in the developing world occur in Africa, where one in four unsafe abortions takes place during adolescence. Young (under age 25) women in Africa, those over age 25 in Asia and women aged 20-35 years in Latin America and the Caribbean are in the greatest need of interventions to prevent unsafe abortion and good quality post-abortion care. A 2004 Reproductive Health Matters. All rights reserved.

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Unsafe Abortion: Global and Regional Incidence, Trends, Consequences, and Challenges

This review aims to provide the latest global and regional estimates of the incidence and trends ... more This review aims to provide the latest global and regional estimates of the incidence and trends in induced abortion, both safe and unsafe. A related objective is to document maternal mortality due to unsafe abortion. The legal context of abortion and the international discourse on preventing unsafe abortion are reviewed to highlight policy implications and challenges in preventing unsafe abortion. METHODS AND DATA SOURCES: This review is based on estimates of unsafe abortion and maternal mortality ratios. These estimates are arrived at using the database on unsafe abortion maintained by the World Health Organization. Additional data from the Demographic and Health Surveys and the United Nations Population Division are used for further analysis of abortion and mortality estimates. Each year 42 million abortions are estimated to take place, 22 million safely and 20 million unsafely. Unsafe abortion accounts for 70,000 maternal deaths each year and causes a further 5 million women to suffer temporary or permanent disability. Maternal mortality ratios (number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) due to complications of unsafe abortion are higher in regions with restricted abortion laws than in regions with no or few restrictions on access to safe and legal abortion. Legal restrictions on safe abortion do not reduce the incidence of abortion. A woman&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s likelihood to have an abortion is about the same whether she lives in a region where abortion is available on request or where it is highly restricted. While legal and safe abortions have declined recently, unsafe abortions show no decline in numbers and rates despite their being entirely preventable. Providing information and services for modern contraception is the primary prevention strategy to eliminate unplanned pregnancy. Providing safe abortion will prevent unsafe abortion. In all cases, women should have access to post-abortion care, including services for family planning. The Millennium Development Goal to improve maternal health is unlikely to be achieved without addressing unsafe abortion and associated mortality and morbidity.