Every day 150,000 pregnancies are terminated worldwide. Around 500 women, many of them young, lose their lives as a result of unsafe abortions. A quarter of the world's population live in countries where abortions are completely or almost completely prohibited. This book analyzes the international politics of abortion, the medical and social pressures and the impact of restricting or liberalizing abortion policies. It looks at questions such as: does abortion encourage teenage pregnancies?; does it harm a woman's physical or mental health?; how late should abortion be permitted?; and does a foetus have a right to life?