"This report assesses progress over the past decade regarding the legality, safety and accessibility of abortion services worldwide. It summarizes developments in policy and documents recent trends in abortion incidence, with a focus on unsafe abortion. It also examines the relationship between unintended pregnancy, contraception and abortion, placing abortion within the broader context of women's reproductive lives." - p. 4.

Abortion is a woman's health concern and a complex moral dilemma everywhere. It is now also one of the most intractable social and political problems of our time. This book provides the first account of the abortion controversy globally. It examines how this issue is being played out beyond the established western liberal democracies and how the Catholic Church and other groups engage it worldwide. The questions addressed in this scholarly and readable work are of paramount significance for the future management of this dispute.

"This report assesses progress over the past decade regarding the legality, safety and accessibility of abortion services worldwide. It summarizes developments in policy and documents recent trends in abortion incidence, with a focus on unsafe abortion. It also examines the relationship between unintended pregnancy, contraception and abortion, placing abortion within the broader context of women's reproductive lives." - p. 4.

At a UN General Assembly Special Session in 1999, governments recognised unsafe abortion as a major public health concern, and pledged their commitment to reduce the need for abortion through expanded and improved family planning services, as well as ensure abortion services should be safe and accessible. This technical and policy guidance provides a comprehensive overview of the many actions that can be taken in health systems to ensure that women have access to good quality abortion services as allowed by law.

"This report assesses progress over the past decade regarding the legality, safety and accessibility of abortion services worldwide. It summarizes developments in policy and documents recent trends in abortion incidence, with a focus on unsafe abortion. It also examines the relationship between unintended pregnancy, contraception and abortion, placing abortion within the broader context of women's reproductive lives." - p. 4.

First published in 1984, Abortion Freedom explains the main reasons for widespread international liberalisation of abortion laws. Colin Francome points out that the birth control movement had its roots in a concern with overpopulation and that this is still a crucial issue today. A major change, however, is that whereas in the early days the socialists were often opposed to birth control they are now amongst the keenest supporters of the woman’s right to choose. The author pays particular attention to the debates in the United States, France and Italy. It is aimed primarily at students of politics, sociology and law but it has a much wider appeal to the general public as a readable explanation of the ideas and strategies of the opposing forces involved.

Unsafe abortion remains one of the most neglected sexual and reproductive health problems according to the World Health Organisation. In recent years it has been estimated that nearly 44 million abortions occur annually leading to around 47,000 deaths. At this rate a woman will die of an unsafe abortion every 11 minutes. Bringing together a wealth of information from around the world, this book argues that the time has come for a great change in legislation, advocating a shift towards the legalization of abortion to improve the health of women in poorer countries. With attention to circumstances in each of the major continental regions, an outline of the global situation is provided to reveal the major trends in the provision and procurement of abortion, as well their effects. Presenting data drawn from over a hundred countries covering over ninety per cent of the world’s population, based on published statistical information, changes to legal frameworks, court cases and the accounts of local commentators and activists, Unsafe Abortion and Women's Health will be of interest to scholars and students of the sociology of medicine, gender and reproductive health, social and health policy and feminist studies.