The justification for laws restricting abortion doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. In short: they don’t do anything to reduce abortion rates and actually have the opposite effect. Countries where abortion is illegal actually have slightly higher abortion rates than places where the procedure is more readily available.
In a study published in this month’s edition of The Lancet, researchers from the Guttmacher Institute studied abortion rates between 1990 and 2014 to analyze trends in the date. Among other realizations, the researchers found that abortion rates are higher in the 58 countries where abortion is either outright illegal or only permitted in instances where the mother’s life is at stake. In fact, they found that there were 37 abortions per 1,000 women per year in these countries as opposed to 34 per 1,000 in countries where abortion is allowed.
The reason behind this is rather simple. Countries that ban abortion have stricter laws about or a lack of proper access to contraception, as well, making it difficult to prevent pregnancy.
From the study, via The Cut:
“The level of unmet need for contraception is higher in countries with the most restrictive abortion laws than in countries with the most liberal laws, and this contributes to the incidence of abortion in countries with restrictive laws.”
Of course, these statistics are made more frightening when considered in context. If abortion is illegal in these countries, then women are seeking out services from unregulated black market providers. It’s a terrifying glimpse at something that could happen here.
(Via The Cut)