Women Are Dying From Unsafe Abortions While American NGOs Do Nothing

[DonViejo]

By Amanda Marcotte

Preventing injury and death from pregnancy-related complications is the big thing in world development circles these days, for a couple of reasons. One reason is that a lot of these problems are simple to prevent with inexpensive interventions during childbirth, like childbirth kits and prenatal care. But another reason is that the image of smiling mothers cradling babies is a fundraising behemoth, a surefire way to get rich do-gooders to open their wallets. All of which would be great, except, as Jill Filipovic reports for Al Jazeera America, it means that the issue of safe abortion access is being ignored, even though unsafe abortion is one of the three leading causes of maternal mortality around the world.

The importance of safe abortion access in preventing unnecessary injuries and deaths isn’t particularly controversial in the reality-based world, as Filipovic explains:

Unsafe abortion is the third leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. The World Health Organization identifies safe abortion care as one of seven necessary interventions to ensure quality reproductive, maternal and child health care. Ending death and injury from unsafe abortion is also one of the easiest goals to achieve — early-term abortion is a simple procedure and, when done by a trained provider, remarkably safe. The rate of death from unsafe abortion could conceivably get very close to zero.

The problem is that the stigma around abortion, particularly in the United States, means that the development efforts around maternal mortality largely ignore the issue. Most maternal health NGOs avoid the topic of abortion. Lobbyists and donors prefer to focus their efforts on women who are going forward with their pregnancies, even though a woman having a baby today might be the woman needing an abortion tomorrow. Because of confusing and ever-changing laws, U.S.-based government-funded agencies are often unaware that they are free to discuss abortion options with women. Under the Obama administration, discussing abortion is allowed, but it was not under the Bush administration. Privately funded enterprise often prefers to stick to topics that they believe won't attract controversy.

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http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/04/22/unsafe_abortion_a_leading_cause_of_maternal_mortality_worldwide.html?

[nomorenomore08]

1. Of course. Actual human lives are expendable in the Church of the Holy Embryo!

[niyad]

2. k and r