Outdated laws and regulations continue to restrict access to abortion drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol around the world, forcing people to turn to unsafe alternatives that result in preventable deaths. To reduce maternal mortality, governments must trust individuals to make their own reproductive choices.

The World Health Organization estimates that 29 million unsafe abortions take place globally each year, leading to roughly 40,000 preventable deaths. Many of these deaths are the result of dangerous procedures performed in regions where restrictive laws limit or prohibit access to safe, legal abortion care.

Of course, there is a simpler, proven alternative: self-termination of unwanted pregnancies using drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol, which the WHO recognizes as both safe and effective. But legal and policy barriers continue to limit women’s access to these vital options, too. To reduce maternal mortality, governments worldwide must remove these barriers and make self-managed abortion accessible to all.

A recent analysis of abortion laws across 35 countries and four US states underscores the extent of the problem, finding that just 10% allow abortion without the involvement of health-care providers. Worse, nearly half of these jurisdictions require in-person visits or mandate that abortion pills be taken in a clinical setting, depriving individuals of the privacy and autonomy that self-managed abortion can provide….

The overwhelming weight of evidence counsels governments to trust people’s reproductive-health choices. Decriminalizing self-managed abortion and lifting unnecessary restrictions, such as prescription- and medical-supervision requirements, are crucial first steps. More importantly, governments should expand access to telemedicine for self-managed abortions, especially in remote and underserved areas where clinics are scarce.

Of course, reforming abortion laws will not remove all obstacles to safe abortion care. In many areas, social stigma and misinformation will continue to fuel efforts to undermine reproductive rights. But legalizing and expanding access to self-managed abortion would significantly reduce the global toll of unsafe procedures and promote reproductive justice for all.

Governments that claim to care about maternal health can no longer afford to ignore reality. If policymakers are truly committed to reducing preventable deaths and defending women’s bodily autonomy, they must establish legal frameworks that support and facilitate self-managed abortion. The price of inaction is far too high.

SOURCE: Project Syndicate, by Andres Constantin, Katherine Mayall. 4 November 2024. VISUAL: Paul Ratje/Washington Post via Getty Images