Termination of pregnancy
Making decisions about pregnancy
Termination of pregnancy or abortion means ending a pregnancy before birth. People may choose this for many reasons. These can include health risks, personal situations, or serious problems with the fetus.
The procedure can be done with medicine or a medical process, depending on how far the pregnancy is. For many, the decision is difficult and emotional. Support from doctors, counsellors and trusted people can help individuals make informed, safe choices.
Most abortions in England, Wales and Scotland are carried out before 24 weeks of pregnancy.
To book an appointment, you can contact:
- A GP
- A local sexual health clinic
Find a sexual health clinic - An abortion provider such as BPAS, MSI or NUPAS
British Pregnancy Advisory Board
MSI Reproductive Choices
National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory Service
Brook
Your first appointment will usually be at a clinic or over the phone, within 1 week of contacting the provider. You do not have an abortion at this stage.
You will usually have an STI (sexually transmitted infection) test and an ultrasound scan. You will also talk through your options and learn more about the potential risks. You can arrange to speak to a counsellor as well if you want to.
You will speak to a nurse or midwife so they can work out which abortion treatment is suitable for you. You may need to have an ultrasound scan to confirm your stage of pregnancy.
After the first appointment, you will either be given abortion medicine to take at home or you will be booked into a hospital or clinic to have the abortion. It will usually take place within 1 week of your first appointment.
You can change your mind at any time before the start of the abortion.
Medical abortion
This involves taking tablets prescribed by your doctor in two doses over a period of 1 to 2 days. Around 4 to 6 hours after the second medicine, the pregnancy should begin to be passed through the vagina. Some people need an extra dose to remove the pregnancy completely.
Abortion medicine must be prescribed by a doctor and never bought online.
Surgical abortion
This is usually done after 10 weeks of pregnancy, but can be done before.
There are 2 types of surgical abortion:
- Using suction to remove the pregnancy through the vagina – this can be done between 7 to 14 weeks of pregnancy and usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes
- Using forceps to remove the pregnancy through the vagina – this can be done from around week 15, and usually takes 10 to 20 minutes
You will have either a local anaesthetic, a general anaesthetic or sedation medicine.
You will usually be allowed to go home the same day.
