Ipas brief presents critical information on the global problem of unsafe abortion

Mark used by permission. This historic event is non-partisan and not connected with any election campaign.

With the largest-ever pro-choice march in history just two weeks away, Ipas has released an issue brief on the global problem of unsafe abortion, which accounts for the deaths of nearly 70,000 women every year. The situation for women abroad offers a glimpse into what could become more common for women in the United States if Roe v. Wade is overturned. The growing problem of unsafe abortion abroad will be a major focus of this year’s march.

Increasingly, American women share with those living in developing countries a systematic and organized assault on their reproductive rights. Every year, tens of millions of women worldwide—the majority of whom are poor—undergo unsafe abortions that lead to death, permanent disability and countless injuries. The Bush administration’s policies, such as the global gag rule, have added to the severity of these problems by further restricting women’s access to a safe abortion.

“As restrictions on and threats to reproductive rights mount in the United States, the experience of poor women in developing countries is very instructive,” said Ipas executive vice president Anu Kumar. “It is also important for American citizens to understand the role U.S. policies play in perpetuating the problem of unsafe abortion, which is entirely preventable.”

Ipas is a 30-year-old international organization dedicated to fighting the worldwide devastation of women from unsafe abortion. The organization’s issue brief offers insights into the causes of global unsafe abortion, presents information on recent advances in abortion technology and provides recommendations on what can be done to increase women’s access to safe abortion. The tragic but instructive experience of women in developing countries raises the stakes for the March on April 25 and offers journalists covering it a unique, critically important angle.

For more information, contact:
Kirsten Sherk
Senior Associate, Media Relations
e-mail: sherkk@ipas.org
phone: 919.960.5612
fax: 919.929.0258