Abortion is a safe and common healthcare procedure, and a human right. It should be accessible and legal for all.

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While abortion is a constitutional right or legal right in some countries, there are many countries where abortion remains criminalised – women around the world can still face prison for having an abortion. This needs to change. Abortion should be treated as healthcare, not a crime.

Access to abortion saves lives

Worldwide, nearly one in three pregnancies end in abortion, and the right to have an abortion is recognised as a human right. But while abortion is one of the safest and most common medical procedures, policy and legal restrictions continue to prevent access to safe abortion services. Globally, 40% of women live in countries where abortion is banned, restricted or inaccessible.

These laws and restrictions drive women to difficult and dangerous decisions. Every year, 34 million people resort to having an unsafe abortion, because safe services aren’t available to them or are too difficult to access. As a result, millions face medical complications and some women die.

With access to safe, legal abortion care, these lives could be saved. An important first step is to take abortion out of criminal law, so that people can access services without fear of prosecution.

That’s why MSI Reproductive Choices is proud to stand with other global healthcare bodies, including the World Health Organization, the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, in calling for the decriminalisation of abortion.

A global movement to decriminalise abortion

When you restrict access to abortion, it only makes them less safe. Several governments around the world have recognised this and already removed abortion care from criminal law. MSI is proud to have been part of that progress through our advocacy efforts.

In Mexico, the Supreme Court of Justice ruled to remove sanctions for abortion from the Mexican criminal code, clearing a path to decriminalise abortion across Mexico.

In Australia, our team helped build parliamentary support for the Abortion Law Reform Act in New South Wales in 2019, leading to abortion being decriminalised.

But we can’t stop at incremental wins. We need to decriminalise abortion everywhere.

In their Abortion Care Guideline, the World Health Organization has called for governments to remove abortion from all penal and criminal laws, ensuring no criminal offences or penalties are applied to those seeking or providing abortion care, and ensuring that anyone who has experienced pregnancy loss will not face suspicion when seeking healthcare.

These recommendations align with the challenges and concerns we hear every day from our clients and providers. We need change now.

Decriminalisation does not mean deregulation. Abortion care should be regulated in the same way that other healthcare services are. But we believe it is never in the public interest to prosecute someone for ending their own pregnancy. Women should be treated with care, never criminalised.

UK abortion law reform

In the UK, one in three women will have an abortion by the age of 45 and 90% of the population is pro-choice.

While abortion has been decriminalised in Northern Ireland, in Great Britain abortion is only legal if it meets the criteria set out in the 1967 Abortion Act. While the vast majority of people who want an abortion can still access one, the law adds to abortion stigma and creates unnecessary barriers, for example by requiring the approval of two doctors.

If someone accesses an abortion outside of certain parameters, they could face a police investigation or even jail time. There have been recent cases where women in the UK have suffered pregnancy loss and were then accused of having an abortion outside the legal limits. They deserved to be treated with compassion and care, but instead faced invasive police investigations, with some even separated from their children, until the charges were dropped.

The good news is that thanks to MSI and other pro-choice campaigners, UK MPs and Lords have recently voted to reform this law, meaning women will no longer be criminalised for ending their own pregnancies (once the change is officially signed into law which is expected in 2026).

What can you do to help?

If you agree that abortion is healthcare and not a crime, here are three ways you can help:

1. Talk to your friends and help us spread the word. Share this page and our explainer content on social media to help us build support for decriminalisation and subscribe for updates on our progress.
2. Write to your MP or government representative. Ask them to support abortion law reform and decriminalise abortion.
3. Donate to our global fund for abortion rights. Across six continents, we’re working at a local, regional and national level to support reproductive health and rights. Help fund our fight for abortion rights.

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