The politics of abortion and maternal health: A discussion paper.

Abstract

Abortion should be legally allowed for women because it can save mothers from childbirth-related complications and death. Legal abortion is one of the safest methods to terminate a pregnancy when there is a risk to the mother’s health by childbirth or severe deformity of the fetus or it is unwanted. Unfortunately, approximately half of all abortions worldwide mostly in nations where abortion is severely restricted and are performed in dangerous settings. These risky abortions are a significant contributor to maternal morbidity and disability. Limiting a woman's access to an abortion does not stop abortion; rather, it just encourages more risky procedures. There are various obstacles to safe abortion, but a few of them are the law, restrictive health regulations, a lack of qualified medical personnel, and the stigma associated with the procedure. For the sake of public health, abortion should be accessible, and any legal framework should be as tolerant as feasible to encourage access. Both medical and surgical methods of abortion are safe and effective (in the first trimester, via manual or electric vacuum aspiration). Even though induced abortion is still widely practiced in countries such as Kenya, it is severely controlled. Having an illegal abortion puts women at risk of serious complications or even death. Briefly, abortion is a legal right for a woman to take place if there is a risk to the health of a pregnant woman or is a severe deformity or intended conception.