Chapter 11: Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion

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About this Chapter
Abortion is a reality in every country regardless of its legal status. Out of 210 million pregnancies worldwide each year, approximately 22 percent, or 46 million, end in abortion. Where abortion is legally restricted, botched abortions are a major cause of maternal death. Young women in particular are at high risk for unintended pregnancy, have limited access to money, and are more likely than women aged 20 to 35 to seek an abortion. A significant percentage of those women who end up in the hospital with complications from unsafe abortion are young. Adolescents may be afraid to tell their parents about a pregnancy and may attempt to induce an abortion themselves or find an underground provider on their own. Such decisions are a matter of life and death. As educators, we need to ensure that adolescents are informed about unsafe abortion and the options available to them should they have an unwanted pregnancy.

It is also important for young people to explore the different moral positions and arguments regarding abortion and discover where their personal values lie. When initiating this discussion, put abortion into a human rights context. Regardless of one’s personal feelings about abortion, it remains a fact that where abortion is legally restricted or not universally available, girls and women die and suffer disabling injuries trying to terminate unwanted pregnancies. Women’s rights to life and to health, as well as their right to make decisions about their own bodies, must be respected and protected.