A GLOBAL REVIEW OF LAWS ON INDUCED-ABORTION, 1985-1997

Context: The legal status of induced abortion helps determine the avai lability of safe, affordable abortion services in a country, which in turn influences rates of maternal mortality and morbidity. It is impor tant, therefore, for health professionals to know both the current sta tus of abortion laws worldwide and the extent to which those laws are changing. Methods: Abortion-related laws in 152 nations and dependent territories with populations of one million or more were reviewed, and changes in these laws since 1985 were documented. Results: Currently, 61% of the world's people live in countries where induced abortion is permitted either for a wide range of reasons or without restriction a s to reason; in contrast, 25% reside in nations where abortion is gene rally prohibited. However, even in countries with highly restrictive l aws, induced abortion is usually permitted when the woman's life is en dangered; in contrast, even in nations with very liberal laws, access may be limited by gestational age restrictions, requirements that thir d parties authorize an abortion or limitations on the types of facilit ies that perform induced abortions. Since 1985, 19 nations have signif icantly liberalized their abortion laws; only one country has substant ially curtailed legal access to abortion. Conclusions: A global trend toward liberalization of abortion laws observed before 1985 appears to have continued in more recent years. Nevertheless, women's ability to obtain abortion services is affected not just by the laws in force in a particular country, but also by how these laws are interpreted, how they are enforced and what the attitude of the medical community is t oward abortion.