The WHO is issuing new guidelines on abortion to help countries provide life-saving care

The World Health Organization (WHO) announces new guidelines about abortion care today, in an effort to protect the health of women and girls and help prevent the more than 25 million unsafe abortions that currently occur each year.

“The possibility of safe abortion is a key part of health care,” he said Craig Lissner, Acting Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at the WHO. “Almost every death and injury resulting from an unsafe abortion can be completely prevented. That’s why we recommend that women and girls can access abortion and family planning services when they need it. ”

Based on the latest scientific evidence, these consolidated guidelines bring together more than 50 recommendations that include clinical practice, health care delivery, and legal and policy interventions to support quality abortion care.

New recommendations for improving access to high-quality person-centered services

When an abortion is performed with a method recommended by the WHO, the appropriate duration of pregnancy and with the help of a person with the necessary information or skills, it is a simple and extremely safe procedure.

It is tragic, however, that only about half of all abortions occur in such conditions, and unsafe abortions cause about 39,000 deaths each year and result in millions more women being hospitalized with complications. Most of these deaths are concentrated in lower-income countries – with more than 60% in Africa and 30% in Asia – and among those living in the most vulnerable situations.

The guideline includes recommendations on many simple interventions at the primary care level that improve the quality of abortion care provided to women and girls. This includes sharing tasks by a wider range of health professionals; ensuring access to medical abortion pills, which means more women can get safe abortion services, and ensuring that accurate care information is available to all those who need it.

For the first time, the guidelines also include recommendations for the use of telemedicine where appropriate, which helped support access to abortion services and family planning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Removing unnecessary political barriers facilitates safe access to abortion

In addition to recommendations for clinical and service delivery, the guidelines recommend removing medically unnecessary political barriers to safe abortion, such as criminalization, mandatory waiting times, requiring approval from others (eg partners or family members) or institutions, and restrictions when abortion can occur during pregnancy. Such barriers can lead to critical delays in accessing treatment and put women and girls at greater risk of precarious abortion, stigmatization, and health complications, while increasing education and their ability to work.

While most countries allow abortion under certain circumstances, about 20 countries do not provide a legal basis for abortion. More than 3 out of 4 countries have legal penalties for abortion, which may include long-term imprisonment or severe fines for persons conducting or assisting in the procedure.

“It’s important that abortion is medically safe,” he said Dr. Bela Ganatra, Head of the WHO Department for the Prevention of Unsafe Abortions. “But that alone is not enough. As with all health services, abortion care should respect the decisions and needs of women and girls, ensuring that they are treated with dignity and without stigma or condemnation. No one shall be subjected to abuse or injury, such as reporting to the police or imprisonment for seeking or providing abortion care. ”

Evidence shows that restricting access to abortion does not reduce number of abortions performed. In fact, restrictions are more likely to force women and girls into unsafe practices. In countries where abortion is most restricted, only 1 in 4 abortions is safe, compared to almost 9 out of 10 in countries where the procedure is mostly legal.

“The evidence is clear – if you want to prevent unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions, you need to provide women and girls with a comprehensive sex education package, accurate information and family planning services, and access to quality abortion care.” Dr. Ganatra added.

Following the publication of the guidelines, the WHO will support interested countries to implement these new guidelines and strengthen national policies and programs related to contraception, family planning and abortion services, helping them to provide the highest standard of care for women and girls.

Notes

Quality abortion care is effective care – provided by health professionals with the right skills, resources and information; safe; available to all who need it; in a timely manner and respecting the needs and rights of women and girls.

The WHO Abortion Guidelines update the previous edition, published in 2012, and combine existing and new recommendations. A digital version is available at https://srhr.org/abortioncare

An interactive online database containing comprehensive information on abortion laws, policies, health standards and guidelines for all countries is available at https://abortion-policies.srhr.org.