25/12/2022, 11:59 ‘Abortion - NHS DTI ce mara (ealth Az (Link: woww.nhs.uklconditions) NHS services (Link: www.nhs.uk/nhs-services) Live Well (Link: www.nhs.uk/iveswell) Men Overview Abortion overview + What happens (Link: wwwnhs.uk/conditions/abortion/what-happens)) 1+ Risks (Lik: www.nhs.ukiconditions/abortion sks) ‘An abortion isa procedure to end a pregnancy. It's also sometimes known as a termination of pregnancy. ‘The pregnancy is ended either by taking medicines or having a surgical procedure Coronavirus update [Abortion services ate still open. You can slF-efer by contacting an abortion provider directly ‘They can explain how their services are working at the moment. How to get an abortion Abortions can only be carried out unde ‘charge on the NHS. 1 care of an NHS hospital ora licensed clinic, and are usually available free of There are 3 main ways to get an abortion on the NHS: + you can self-refer by contacting an abortion provider directly - the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) (Link httpssiwwrw bpas.org), MSI Reproductive Choices UK (Link: httpss/wwww.msichoices org.uk), the National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory Service (NUPAS) (Link: https/fww.nupas.co.uk/) oF your local NHS sexual health website can tll you about eligibility and services in your area, + speak to a GP and ask for a referral to an abortion service - the GP should refer you to another doctor if he or she has any objections to abortion + contact a sexual health clinic (Link: wwww.nhs uk/using-the-nhwnhs-servicelsexual-health-sevices) (sometimes called ‘amily planning or GUM (genitourinary medicine) clinics) and ask for a referral to an abortion service Waiting times can vary, but you should not have to wait more than 2 weeks from when you (or a doctor) frst contact an abortion provider to having an abortion. You can also pay for an abortion privately (not on the NHS) if you prefer. Costs for private abortions vary depending on the stage of pregnancy and the method ured to cary out the procedure. When an abortion can be carried out Most abortions in England, Wales and Scotland are carried out before 24 weeks of pregnancy They can be carried out after 24 weeks in very Imited circumstances —for example, ifthe mothers life i at risk or the child would be born with a severe disability Most abortion services will ask to perform an ultrasound scan (Link: www nhs ukiconditions/ultrasound-scan) to work out how many weeks pregnant you are. The length of pregnancy is calculated trom the fist day of your last period, Abortion ar safer the eatlar hey cried out Geting advice early on wl ve you mre time to make a deeon i Deciding to have an abortion Some women may be certain they want to have an abortion wil others may find mor fut to make a deo, All women requesting an abortion can discuss their options with, and receive support from, a trained pregnancy ‘counsellor if they wish Impartial information and support are available from: + your GP or another doctor at your GP practice + a counselling (Link: wauw.nhs,uklconditions!counselling) service at the abortion clinic hitps:iwwn.ns.uklcondlions/abortion! 1225/12/2022, 11:59 ‘Abortion - NHS + organisations such as Brook (Link: httpsvtwuww brook org.uk) (for under-25s), BPAS (Link: httpsuIwwvw bpas org), MSI Reproductive Choices UK (Link: httpsi/waw-msichoices.org.uk) and NUPAS (Link: httpsiwww.nupas.¢o.uk) ‘You may also want to speak to your partner, friends or family, but you do not have to, They do not have a say in your It you do not want to tell anyone, your details will be kept confidential Ityou're under 16, your parents do not usually need to be told. The doctor or nurse may encourage you to tell a parent, ‘afer or other adult you trust, but they will not make you, There are organisations, usually known as crisis pregnancy centres, that offer counselling around pregnancy. They do not refer people for abortion, and may not offer balanced or accurate advice. Ifyou go to a place that offers pregnancy counselling and you're not sure if they will refer you for an abortion, ask if they refer people for an abortion, What happens during an abortion Before having an abortion, you'll have an appointment to talk about your decision andl what happens next Whenever possible, you should be given a choice of how you would like the abortion to be carried out ‘There are 2 options + medical abortion (‘abortion pill”) ~ you take 2 medicines, usualy 24t0.48 hours apart, to induce an abortion + surgical abortion -you have a procedure to remove the pregnancy and normally go home soon afterwards [After an abortion, you'l probably need to take things easy for a few days, It's likely you'll ave some discomfort and vaginal bleeding for up to 2 weeks. Read more about how an abortion i carried out (Link: www.nhs.uk/conditions/abortion/what-happens), Risks of an abortion ‘Abortion is a safe procedure. Abortions are safest, and happen with less pain and bleeding, when carried out as early as possible in pregnancy, Most women will not experience any problems, but there isa small rsk of complications such as + infection of the womb (uterus) + some of the pregnancy remaining in the womb + excessive bleeding + damage to the womb or entrance of the womb (cervix) If complications do occur, you may need further treatment, including surgery Having an abortion will nt affect your chances of becoming pregnant again and having normal pregnancies in the future, ‘You may be able to get pregnant immediately after an abortion. You should use contraception (Link wuewsnns.ukiconditionsontraceptioni if you do not want to get pregnant, Read more about the risks of abortion (Link: www.nhs.uk/condltions/abortion/risks). Page last reviewed: 26 April 2020 Next review due: 24 Apri 2023 hitps:iwwn.ns.uklcondlions/abortion! ae