Clandestine and unsafe abortions are common in Pakistan and threaten women's health and lives

© AFP/Getty ImagesInduced abortion is legal under very limited circumstances in Pakistan, yet it is commonly performed, according to a new research summary released today in Karachi by the National Committee for Maternal and Neonatal Health and the Guttmacher Institute. Researchers estimate that 890,000 abortions were performed in Pakistan in 2002, a rate of 29 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age (15–49) annually. Because access to abortion is highly restricted, the majority of these procedures take place under clandestine—and often unsafe—conditions...more

Unintended pregnancy and abortion decline worldwide as contraceptive use rises

Increases in global contraceptive use have contributed to a decrease in the number of unintended pregnancies and, in turn, a decline in the number of abortions worldwide. However, this positive trend was most pronounced in developed regions, while improvement varied widely among developing countries. The decline in worldwide abortion occurred alongside a global trend toward liberalizing abortion laws. Indeed, abortion occurs at roughly equal rates in regions where it is broadly legal and in regions where it is highly restricted. The key difference is safety—illegal, clandestine abortions cause significant harm to women, especially in developing countries. The report, “Abortion Worldwide: A Decade of Uneven Progress,” recommends making modern contraceptives available to all women who want them, expanding access to legal abortion and improving postabortion care...more

To learn more about our report’s implications for U.S. policy, read this blog post by Susan Cohen, Guttmacher’s director of government affairs, on The Hill's Congress Blog or RH Reality Check.

Also read Susan Cohen’s response to critics of our report...more

Unsafe abortion costs the developing world hundreds of millions of dollars each year

©Colin Anderson
BrandX/CorbisTreating the complications that result from unsafe abortion costs Africa and Latin America $227–280 million each year—and all the developing world, including the Asian and Pacific regions, $341 million—according to a new Guttmacher study that quantifies the burden on health care systems…more

Recession has reshaped women's childbearing desires

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MsSpongeAfter months of anecdotal reports, Guttmacher provides the first hard evidence of the recession’s impact on women’s contraceptive use and childbearing decisions. Because of economic concerns, about half of women surveyed want to delay pregnancy and are more focused on effective contraceptive use, but many forgo contraception to save money…more

Guttmacher Institute honors Kelly Blanchard with the Darroch Award

The Guttmacher Institute honors Kelly Blanchard, M.Sc., president of Ibis Reproductive Health, as the 2009 recipient of the Darroch Award for Excellence in Sexual and Reproductive Health Research. The Guttmacher Institute established the award in 2005 to recognize leadership among sexual and reproductive health researchers who are in the early or middle years of their career. It is named for Jacqueline E. Darroch, Ph.D., former senior vice president for science and currently a senior fellow at the Institute, whose three decades at Guttmacher exemplified rigorous and innovative research with a commitment to practical application to policy and programs...more

Home visiting programs touted by Obama administration improve health and well-being of both women and children

Jennie Woodcock; Reflections Photolibrary/CORBISHome visiting programs that would be significantly expanded under a new initiative proposed by the Obama administration have demonstrated modest but important benefits for children and significant benefits for women, according to a new policy analysis published in the Summer 2009 issue of the Guttmacher Policy Review. Home visiting programs pair new families—particularly low-income, single-parent ones—with trained professionals who provide parenting information, resources and support throughout a child’s first few years…more

Abortion pill has not improved geographic access to abortion

Expectations that the abortion pill mifepristone would dramatically improve abortion access in the United States have not been realized. New research published in this month’s issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology finds that, although use of mifepristone has become widespread and has contributed to the shift toward earlier abortions, its use has not improved women’s ability to access abortion services…more

Facts distorted in debate on impact of abortion coverage

Some anti-abortion advocates falsely attribute the claim that health care reform would significantly increase abortions in the United States to the Guttmacher Institute. They appear to be both confused about a recent Guttmacher study on the impact of the Hyde amendment and are inappropriately extrapolating its findings to the health care reform debate. Susan Cohen, Guttmacher’s director of government affairs, sets the record straight...more

Also see this recent Guttmacher Institute memo on insurance coverage of abortion...more

Maternal mortality remains high in India, despite slow decline

Although maternal mortality in India is declining, it remains unacceptably high, according to a new report released today by the Guttmacher Institute and the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) in Mumbai. Maternal deaths in India, the world’s second most populous country, constitute one-quarter of all maternal deaths globally...more

This report is the second in a two-part series on India. The first, released last month, addressed early marriage...more

Adolescent women's contraceptive use is less consistent than that of adults

Willem Jan CaminadaA new study of women’s contraceptive use around the world finds that sexually active 15–19-year-olds are more likely than their 20–49-year-old counterparts to use contraceptives inconsistently and, on average, experience a 25% higher rate of contraceptive failure...more

Medicaid funding restrictions result in 1 in 4 poor women carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term

Approximately one-fourth of women who would obtain a Medicaid-funded abortion if given the option instead carry an unwanted pregnancy to term when state laws restrict Medicaid funding for abortion, because they lack the money to pay for the procedure themselves. It is time for Congress to repeal the Hyde Amendment and restore Medicaid coverage for abortion so that every woman, regardless of her economic circumstances, has the right to decide when and whether to have a child…more

Unintended births on the rise among young women in Nigeria

©iStockphoto/RuffraidoBetween 1990 and 2003, Nigeria made large improvements in young women's educational attainment, but the country experienced only modest declines in early marriage and adolescent childbearing, while the unintended birthrate rose (from 10% to 16%), according to new analysis from the Guttmacher Institute and the Women's Health and Action Research Centre in Benin City, Nigeria...more

This report is the second in a two-part series on Nigeria. The first, released last month, addressed Nigeria's high levels of maternal mortality...more

Power dynamics within relationships may play a role in sexual risk-taking

Which partner has the higher income, greater control over sexual and contraceptive decisions, and the stronger commitment to the relationship may play a role in couples' decisions to engage in risky behavior. Click here for more on this study and others in the June issue of Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health…more

Contraception, a life-saving investment for the Philippines

© Sylvester SaldanaOur new opinion article makes the case for investing in voluntary family planning services in the Philippines. The article, authored by Guttmacher President and CEO Sharon Camp and Josefina V. Cabigon of the University of the Philippines Population Institute, was published on ABS-CBN News.

More than half of the Philippines' 3.4 million annual pregnancies are unintended, and 92% of these occur to women who either use no contraceptive method or use a traditional one. A new report documents the considerable social and financial benefits of investing in contraceptive services…more