Unintended Pregnancy Happens Everywhere

Who do you picture when you imagine someone who wants an abortion? Someone trying to finish their education? Someone trying to advance in their career? Someone who can’t afford to expand their family? Someone who can’t afford contraception? Someone who isn’t ready for children yet? Someone who already has all the children they want? Someone who never wants them?

There are as many reasons why someone might not plan to be pregnant, and why someone might choose to end an unintended pregnancy, as there are people who can get pregnant – which is to say, a lot. There were approximately 121 million unintended pregnancies worldwide every year between 2015 and 2019, and 61% of them ended in abortion. That’s about 73 million abortions annually.

Unintended pregnancies are more common in countries where abortion access is heavily restricted, but abortion rates in those countries are similar to abortion rates in countries where abortion is broadly legal. In fact, in countries that restrict abortion, the percentage of unintended pregnancies that end in abortion has actually risen over the last 30 years, from 36% to 50%. That’s because people seek out abortion care whether it’s legal or not.

Regardless of what the law says, no one should be forced to continue a pregnancy just because someone else believes they should. Everyone deserves to make their own decisions about when, whether, and with whom to have a child – and to act on those decisions freely and safely. That’s why we provide accurate, up-to-date information about how people can self-manage their own abortions with pills. Come read our long list of FAQs at AbortionPillInfo.org. Those should cover most of your questions, and if they don’t, we’ve also got a secure portal where you can contact our counselors. We promise we won’t judge your reasons for getting in touch!