5 data on abortion in Latin America

• April 26, 2024

The abortion represents a serious public health problem in most developing countries, so we present 5 facts about their situation in Latin America and the world:

1. The rate of induced abortions in Latin America ranges from 21 to 55 events per 100 live births. These data indicate that the life and health of thousands of women may be in danger, because abortion leads to serious psychological consequences and social problems for family groups and a serious public health problem in developing countries, says the Ministry of Health website.

2. Estimates in Mexico indicate that between 25 and 40% of the pregnancies are not planned and that one in every 5 pregnancies occurs in adolescents, many of whom decide to resort to abortion to solve their situation.

3. The World Health Organization estimates that in the year 2000, they were practiced in the world around 27 million legal abortions and 19 million illegal abortions. 95% of illegal abortions are considered unsafe abortions, and they are mostly practiced in developing countries.

4. 99% of deaths due to these abortions occur in countries that do not have the infrastructure of public health that covers and has included prevention programs. Access to safe abortion techniques is limited in many developing countries due to legal and administrative restrictions that hinder it, as well as financial problems and lack of professionals with adequate training to perform them.

5. In Latin America, the rate of complications derived from the practice of a illegal abortion It is disproportionately higher among women from rural areas with limited economic resources, says the WHO.