NEW DELHI: Almost half of all pregnancies worldwide is unintended, said a United Nations (UN) report. Out of 121 million unintended pregnancies every year, more than 60 percent end in abortion, stated UN reproductive health agency.

Gender inequality, poverty, sexual violence and lack of access to contraception lead to unhealthy pregnancies. The lack of awareness about one’s choice of whether or not to become pregnant also increases the rate of unintended pregnancies. The report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is based on these findings.

Meantime, the situation in war-torn Ukraine remains deplorable. The Russia-Ukraine war and other conflicts are expected to drive the staggering number of unintended pregnancies even higher as sexual violence increases and contraception access is disrupted, hinted the report.

Studies estimate that more than 20 percent of displaced women worldwide experience sexual violence, said Natalia Kanem, UNFPA executive director. The conflict in Afghanistan is expected to lead to 4.8 million unintended pregnancies by 2025, she added.

The Covid-19 crisis has also hugely disrupted healthcare and contraceptive supplies, leading to up to 1.4 million unintended pregnancies in the first year of the pandemic alone, said the UNFPA.