Every year, worldwide, about 42 million women with unintended pregnancieschoose abortion, and nearly half of these procedures, 20 million, are unsafe.Some 68,000 women die of unsafe abortion annually, making it one of theleading causes of maternal mortality (13%). Of the women who survive unsafeabortion, 5 million will suffer long-term health complications. Unsafeabortion is thus a pressing issue. Both of the primary methods for preventingunsafe abortion—less restrictive abortion laws and greater contraceptiveuse—face social, religious, and political obstacles, particularly in developingnations, where most unsafe abortions (97%) occur. Even where these obstaclesare overcome, women and health care providers need to be educatedabout contraception and the availability of legal and safe abortion, andwomen need better access to safe abortion and postabortion services. Otherwise,desperate women, facing the financial burdens and social stigma ofunintended pregnancy and believing they have no other option, will continueto risk their lives by undergoing unsafe abortions.[Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2009;2(2):122-126]