Unsafe and illegal abortion: causes and alternatives for a comprehensive solution

Abstract

To prevent unsafe abortions, it was necessary to protect women's health. When performed with proper methods and assisted by trained personnel, it was a safe procedure. However, the lack of legislation put the lives of pregnant women at risk. The aim of this study was to define the causes of unsafe and illegal abortion. An exploratory study was conducted on aspects related to abortion using bibliographic sources such as PubMed, Dialnet, Science Direct, SciELo and Redalyc. Unwanted pregnancy continued to be one of the main challenges for health systems, considering that one third of pregnancies were unwanted and in some cases were clandestinely terminated. This was one of the five main causes of maternal mortality. If the woman was determined to terminate her pregnancy, she sought a way to undergo an independent abortion regardless of whether it was legal or not, which not only endangered her life, but also affected her fertility, other pregnancies and her mental health, generating tensions and emotional conflicts that could lead to increased anxiety and depression, it was also concluded that severe psychological reactions to abortion occurred only rarely. The fight against unsafe and illegal abortion should have focused on adequate sexual and reproductive education for the entire population. Religious, political and social beliefs, as well as the lack of family support, poverty or lack of resources and unforeseen circumstances led women to seek quick and dangerous solutions; therefore, the best weapon against unsafe abortion was information, right to health and free and voluntary maternity.