In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), restrictive abortion laws, limited medical resources, and high costs – all heightened by two decades of conflict – have led to barriers in access to safe abortion. Despite the legal restrictions, abortion is common in the DRC although national data are lacking. One study in Kinshasa estimated that 61% of pregnancies in 2016 were unintended, and there was a rate of 56 abortions per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 49. An estimated 88% of abortions in Middle Africa are unsafe. When performed in accordance with the World Health Organisation’s guidelines, abortion is a safe, low-risk medical procedure. However, when performed in unsanitary conditions, with hazardous methods, or by an inadequately trained person, abortion is unsafe and ends in poor health outcomes, including death.