Get "In the Know": Questions About Pregnancy, Contraception and Abortion
Safety of Abortion
How safe is abortion?
- The risk of abortion complications is minimal when the procedure is performed by a trained professional in a hygienic setting: Fewer than 1% of all U.S. abortion patients experience a major complication. The risk of death associated with abortion in the United States is less than 0.6 per 100,000 procedures, which is less than one-tenth as large as the risk associated with childbirth. (40) However, 68,000 women in countries where abortion is illegal die each year of abortion complications, and many times this number are injured by unsafe procedures. (5)
How many abortion-related deaths are there each year in the United States?
- Between 1990 and 2000, there were between four and 11 deaths related to legal abortion in the United States each year. (41)
How many U.S. women die each year from pregnancy-related causes?
- In 2002, a total of 357 women in the United States were reported to have died of maternal causes. The number of maternal deaths does not include all deaths among pregnant women—only those in which the cause reported on the death certificate is related to or aggravated by pregnancy or pregnancy management. (42)
Does the rate of abortion-related deaths differ between developed and developing countries?
- In developed countries, where the procedure is usually legal, abortion mortality is low (0.2–1.2 deaths per 100,000 abortions). But in developing regions (excluding China), where abortion is often illegal or highly restricted, abortion mortality is hundreds of times higher (330 deaths per 100,000 abortions). (2)
This resource was produced with support from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation and the Roth Family Foundation.
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