According to Jonathan Bearak and colleagues’ study, the global unintended pregnancy rate has declined, while the percentage of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion has increased since the early 1990s. As a result of this, the global abortion rate today almost equals the rate back in the 1990s. This study model is illuminating the fact that “an increase in the use of effective contraceptive methods contributed to a reduction in the incidence of unintended pregnancies, despite an impressive increase in the need for family planning over the past three decades due to changing fertility preferences”. Vladimira Kantorova believes that the study should also consider analyzing the countries where reducing the incidence of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions was successful in order to learn from these achievements. Moreover, countries with high population growth will continue to require an expansion of sexual and reproductive health-care services.  

Unintended pregnancies and abortions have serious consequences for women’s sexual and reproductive health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, access to sexual and reproductive health-care services cannot be neglected. Otherwise, the incidence of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions are likely to increase.