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Protester in Chile (archive photo): »Free abortion.
For the right to decide«
Photo: Yvo Salinas/ dpa
An estimated 50 million abortions are performed worldwide every year - many of them without prior medical knowledge and under poor hygienic conditions.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 39,000 women worldwide die every year from such unprofessional procedures.
Now the WHO has published new guidelines on safe abortions.
About 20 countries have so far no laws that allow abortions.
Most women die from abortion in low-income countries, WHO reports.
More than 60 percent of the deaths happened in Africa, around 30 percent in Asia.
Studies have shown that abortion bans or restrictions do not reduce the number of procedures.
Rather, it drives more women to undergo dubious or dangerous procedures.
The guidelines include, for example, implementation by medically trained personnel who respect the rights and needs of women.
In addition, the WHO recommends not criminalizing abortion, not specifying waiting times before the procedure or requiring the consent of others - such as the partner or family.
All of this can put women in difficult situations, in which they feel compelled to have abortions without the necessary medical care.
The abortion pill should be made available to enable a safe termination of a pregnancy.
"No one should face hostility or risk being reported or sentenced to prison for having obtained or performed an abortion," said WHO specialist Bela Ganatra.
The best prevention of unwanted pregnancies is education and the availability of contraceptives.
ala/dpa