Countries with almost all industrial development in the world have made abortion legally permissible (1950 – 1985). Later, in 1994, various countries convened and 179 countries signed the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action, which highlighted cooperation in preventing unsafe abortions. More than 30 countries gradually amended their abortion laws to be legally permissible.
The World Health Organization has recommended that countries enact laws and policies that primarily protect the health and rights of women. They should amend, repeal, and eliminate practices, policies, and operations that affect timely access to safe abortion services. Additionally, they should create and improve access to quality contraceptive information and services, with a focus on adolescents, impoverished women, victims of rape or violence, and women living with HIV.
However, the decision to terminate a pregnancy depends on the legal factors of each country, which specify the conditions or criteria under which a woman can legally terminate a pregnancy. Generally, the criteria for terminating a pregnancy include: 1) to save the woman’s life, 2) for health reasons, as the pregnancy affects the woman’s physical and/or mental health, 3) pregnancy resulting from rape, sexual abuse, or incest, 4) fetal health problems, and 5) economic and social issues. The most open criterion is 6) when the woman desires it.The criteria of countries around the world are updated annually and can be further studied through the interactive map at the website http://worldabortionlaws.com/