Almost half of all pregnancies worldwide are unintended, according to a new UN report.
And of the 121 million unwanted or at least unplanned pregnancies per year, more than 60 percent are terminated by abortion - half of them under unsafe conditions, as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) announced on Wednesday.
The study authors warned that conflicts such as the Ukraine war could drive the number of unwanted pregnancies to "dizzying" heights.
The UNFPA report is based on new data from 2015 to 2019 from 150 countries from the Guttmacher Institute. The Guttmacher Institute campaigns for abortion rights.
The authors of the report cite discrimination against women, poverty, sexual violence and a lack of access to contraceptives and abortions as the main causes of unintended pregnancies.
According to the authors, the report is not about "unwanted babies or happy mishaps," but how a combination of gender injustice, poverty, sexual violence and limited access to contraception and abortion are making women "make the most life-changing decision - whether to conceive or not." ", take.
More pregnancies due to global conflicts
The report's authors warned that conflicts such as the Ukraine war are skyrocketing the number of unwanted pregnancies as sexual violence rises and access to contraceptives is restricted.
UNFPA Director Natalia Kanem, presenting the report, referred to cases of pregnant women in Ukraine "who knew they would not be nutritionally able to sustain their pregnancy".
There are also examples of criminals "who see the tragedy of war as an opportunity to target women and girls".
According to studies, more than 20 percent of displaced women worldwide experience sexual violence.
Kanem warned that the official figures are likely underestimated because of the social "stigma" attached to the violence.
The UNFPA director estimated that the conflict in Afghanistan alone is expected to result in 4.8 million unwanted pregnancies by 2025.
According to UNFPA, the corona crisis also led to up to 1.4 million unwanted pregnancies in the first year of the pandemic alone because women had no access to medical care or contraceptives.
According to the report, seven million women are hospitalized every year after unsafe abortions.
These abortions are one of the main causes of maternal mortality.
Presenting the report, Turkish doctor Ayse Akin said she had treated "desperate women" who had attempted abortions with "knitting needles" and "matches."
In connection with the UNFPA report, criticism of US policy was also voiced that US development aid should not go to organizations and institutions that advocate for abortion rights or even provide information about abortion.
Kanem told AFP there is ample evidence that these policies are having a "profound effect" and are affecting contraceptive provision.
The faculty director of the Center for Women and Labor at Rutgers University in the US, Yana Rodgers, said that after her research in 51 developing countries, the US development policy leads "to more rather than fewer abortions" because women also have less access to abortions have contraceptives.