The U.N. Population Fund says new research shows that nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide -- 121 million annually -- are unintended, which it calls “a neglected crisis.”
In its annual State of World Population Report 2022 released Wednesday, the fund said over 60% of unintended pregnancies end in abortion and an estimated 45% of abortions are unsafe, causing 5% to 13% of maternal deaths.
“This report is a wakeup call,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, executive director of the fund, which now calls itself the U.N.’s sexual and reproductive health agency.
“The staggering number of unintended pregnancies represents a global failure to uphold women and girls’ basic human rights. For the women affected, the most life-altering reproductive choice — whether or not to become pregnant — is no choice at all,” she said.
The rate of unintended pregnancy did decline between 1990 and 2019, from 79 to 64 for every 1,000 women aged 15 to 49, and that offers “some comfort,” the report said. But it noted the total number of women experiencing unintended pregnancies increased about 13% over the 30-year period because of population growth.
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