Abortion in Togo

In Togo, abortion is only legal in cases of pregnancy from rape or incest, risk to the mother's health or life, or risk of birth defects. The law requires abortion to be performed by a doctor. Unsafe abortion is a major cause of maternal mortality in the country.

Togo inherited France's abortion law in 1920, banning abortion. The country's 1981 criminal code did not include the abortion ban, but access did not increase. Reproductive rights organizations have worked to raise awareness of abortion. After ratifying the Maputo Protocol in 2005, Togo passed a law legalizing abortion in December 2006. It was the first country in Francophone Africa to do so.

Access to abortion is low due to stigma, lack of knowledge, and lack of doctors. Some women travel to receive legal abortions in Benin. Abortion is particularly frequent in Lomé, where it is more common among younger women, and it is also frequent among sex workers. Illegal vendors provide abortion drugs. Post-abortion care has been available in hospitals since the 2000s, though barriers to access exist.

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