An unsafe abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by people lacking the necessary skills, or in an environment lacking minimal medical standards, or both. An unsafe abortion is a life-threatening procedure. It includes self-induced abortions, abortions in unhygienic conditions, and abortions performed by a medical practitioner who does not provide appropriate post-abortion attention. About 25 million unsafe abortions occur a year, of which most occur in the developing world.

Unsafe abortions result in complications for about 7 million women a year. Unsafe abortions are also one of the leading causes of deaths during pregnancy and childbirth (about 5–13% of all deaths during this period). Most unsafe abortions occur where modern birth control is unavailable, or in developing countries where affordable and well-trained medical practitioners are not readily available, or where abortion is illegal, with the more restrictive the law, the higher the rates of death and other complications.