Maternal Mortality tied to Unsafe Abortions in Ghana

Although abortions are legal under some circumstances in Ghana, many women appear to be unaware of that fact, and there is anecdotal evidence that providers often discourage women from seeking a legal abortion. A new report from the Guttmacher Institute summarizes information gleaned from the 2007 Ghana Maternal Health Survey, revealing that more than one in ten maternal deaths in Ghana is the result of an unsafe abortion. Many more women suffer complications from the procedure, even though they survive. Abortion rates are highest among younger women, the better educated, those living in cities, and higher among Christians than Muslims.