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Protesters hold a banner reading 'abortion is a basic right' during a rally in support of abortion rights following the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, in Paris, France, July 2, 2022

Abortion restrictions around the world

Updated: March 17, 2023

In the past year, from the United States to Poland, obstacles have been placed on abortion access as conservative lawmakers tighten restrictions on terminations.

Reproductive rights campaigners say legislation that bans or severely restricts abortion does not stop women getting terminations, instead forcing some to get backstreet abortions that can be unsafe and sometimes deadly.

In a debate marked by deep ideological and religious divides, some US economists are now urging policymakers to consider the financial cost of curbing women's abortion rights.

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A woman, who suffered two miscarriages over the last year in an attempt to have a son, squats beside a red bucket washing clothes in her village home in Hisar, India, July 31, 2022. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Annie Banerji
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