Sexual violence and lack of access to contraceptives, for example, lead to unwanted pregnancies – of which more than 60% are aborted.
According to a new UN report, nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide are unintended. The number of unplanned pregnancies is 121 million per year (331,000 per day), which corresponds to 48% of all pregnancies. According to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), 60% would be aborted – half of them in unsafe conditions.
The report cites discrimination against women, poverty, sexual violence and lack of access to contraceptives as the main causes of unwanted pregnancies. The report goes on to say that 257 million girls and women have an unmet need for contraceptives even though they do not want to become pregnant. An unwanted or unplanned pregnancy can be wanted or unwanted. It is a pregnancy that occurs in a woman who did not want to have (more) children or that occurs at the “wrong time”, that is, earlier than desired. The definition is independent of pregnancy outcome, according to the World Population Report 2022.
Crises make the situation worse
The supply of contraceptives also deteriorates in humanitarian crises, which is why they also act as drivers of unplanned pregnancies. The study authors expressly warned that conflicts such as the war in Ukraine are driving the number of unintended pregnancies to “staggering” levels, as sexual violence is on the rise and access to contraceptives is restricted. Introducing the report in Paris, UNFPA Director Natalia Kanem reported cases of pregnant women in Ukraine “knowing they would not be nutritionally capable of sustaining pregnancy”. There are also examples of criminals who “see the tragedy of war as an opportunity to target women and girls”.
“Sexual and reproductive rights are fundamental human rights that governments and laws must protect, respect and make accessible,” said Petra Bayr, member of the Austrian Parliamentary Group for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (#paarlandsex), in a date. press conference on the topic on Wednesday in Vienna.
Unsafe abortion as a cause of death
According to studies, more than 20% of displaced women worldwide experience sexual violence. Kanem cautioned that the numbers are likely understated because of the social stigma associated with violence. The UNFPA director estimated that the conflict in Afghanistan alone is expected to result in 4.8 million unintended pregnancies by 2025. According to UNFPA, the corona crisis has also led to up to 1.4 million unplanned pregnancies in the first year of the pandemic alone. , mainly due to limited access to contraceptives.
Every year, seven million women are hospitalized after unsafe abortions. In some cases, these even lead to the death of mothers, making them one of the main causes of maternal mortality. Scientists at the Guttmacher Institute hypothesize that the number of unsafe abortions could be reduced by 72% if women in low- and middle-income countries were adequately provided with contraceptives and if antenatal and newborn care were provided to the extent recommended by the WHO. accessible.
Contraceptives alone are not enough
Contraception is essential to improve the situation, but it is not enough on its own. Efforts are needed to dispel the entrenched stigmatization of unwanted pregnancies. According to the report, social norms and laws must be changed to allow women to make their own decisions.
“Every woman in the world has the right to self-determination over her own body, regardless of age or origin. This requires gender equality in all aspects, comprehensive protection against violence of all kinds, and the necessary health and safety care,” says Eva-Maria Holzleitner, member of #paarlandsex and SPÖ spokesperson for women, children and youth. For Austria, the spokespersons in Vienna demand, above all, called for national and free access to contraceptives and the promotion of sex education for children and young people.
(apa/evdin)