Around the world, bans do not make abortion much rarer

Laura buckingham could have died three times. Ms Buckingham, 37, has one son. She has also had 11 planned pregnancies that have gone wrong. In one case a miscarriage led to an infection, requiring emergency treatment. In another she had an ectopic pregnancy, lodged outside her uterus, which can cause internal bleeding. She also had a molar pregnancy in which two sperm fertilised one egg, which can sometimes lead to cancer. On each occasion prompt medical attention in Britain, where she lives, has kept her healthy. Without it, she says, “I might not be here.”

On June 24th America’s Supreme Court restored to the 50 states the power to pass their own abortion laws, which it had taken away in 1973. Within a week seven states had banned abortion (with some exemptions, such as when a woman’s life is in danger). These changes buck a global trend towards more permissiveness. Since the early 1990s more than 50 countries have loosened laws on abortion. Only 5% of women of reproductive age live in countries where abortion is completely banned. Some 36% live in places with no restrictions, at least during the first trimester.