(CNN) China will reduce the number of abortions performed for "non-medical purposes," the country's cabinet announced in new guidelines issued Monday that it said were aimed at improving women's reproductive health. China has already enacted strict measures aimed at preventing sex-selective abortions, and health authorities also warned in 2018 that the use of abortion to end unwanted pregnancies was harmful to women's bodies and risks causing infertility. The State Council said the new guidelines would also aim to improve women's overall access to pre-pregnancy health care services. National Health Commission data showed that between 2014 and 2018, there had been an average of 9.7 million abortions per year, rising about 51% from the 2009-2013 average despite a relaxation of family planning policies in 2015. The data didn't specify how many abortions were for medical reasons.

Source: CNN September 27, 2021 08:25 UTC