Pregnancy termination. Foreword.

摘要

A typical woman in the United States will have 2 children. She will spend roughly 5 years pregnant, postpartum, or trying to become pregnant; however, the majority of her reproductive years will be spent trying to avoid pregnancy. Nearly half of all women will face an unintended pregnancy and about half of these women will terminate the pregnancy. This means that approximately 1 in 3 women will have an abortion at some point in their life. Almost half of women having abortions have had at least 1 previous abortion and 58% have had a previous birth, indicating that women turn to abortion, like contraceptives, not only to delay starting families but also as a means of managing family size and dealing with unexpected circumstances in their lives. Access to effective contraception and safe abortion is among the most fundamental reproductive health care needs of women.