Abortion

 

Pregnancy & Parenthood 

How will I feel? 

Making the decision to have an abortion 

can be difficult and painful, but ultimately it 

is your choice. It can be much less 

traumatic physically and emotionally than 

having an unwanted child. A small 

percentage of women have long-term 

feelings of guilt and some feel that it was a 

mistake. Many women feel relieved once 

the abortion is over and see their decision 

as regrettable but necessary. At least a 

third of all women will have had an 

abortion by age 45. 

How safe is it? 

The safest and easiest time to have an 

abortion is within the first three months of 

a pregnancy. Complications are rare – less 

than 1% of women have to have the 

procedure repeated because fragments of 

pregnancy remain in the womb and cause 

persistent bleeding and 1-2% of women 

have an infection and are treated with 

antibiotics. One or two women per 

thousand will have a serious complication 

and are likely to experience reduced fertility 

or be unable to conceive again. If you have 

had an abortion without incident, studies 

indicate there should be no increase in 

future fertility/pregnancy complications. 

How do I get an abortion? 

To get an abortion, you need to get a 

referral from two doctors, usually your GP 

and a doctor at the abortion clinic or 

hospital. You can also see the Well Woman 

Clinic or Caledonia Youth. Doctors may 

refuse on the grounds of conscience, but 

they must refer you to another doctor who 

can help. If you feel your doctor hasn't 

handled your request appropriately you can 

inform the local Primary Care Trust. 

You can also contact the British Pregnancy 

Advisory Service on 08457 304030 to 

arrange a private abortion. It costs 

between £380 and £950 depending on the 

stage of the pregnancy, and they provide 

post-abortion counseling for free. Women 

may choose this option if they are not 

eligible for an NHS abortion, if they are not 

comfortable asking their own GP for help, 

and/or because it can be arranged quickly. 

When is abortion legal? 

Abortion is legal up to 24 weeks' gestation, 

or when there is a risk of serious 

permanent injury (or death) to the mother, 

or if the child, if born, would be seriously 

disabled. If an abortion is performed after 

24 weeks' gestation it will most likely be 

because there is something very wrong 

with the baby. 

Abortion 

How is it carried out? 

There are different methods of having an 

abortion depending on what stage your 

pregnancy is at. 

Early medical abortion – up to 9 weeks 

You will be given two appointments, two 

days apart. At each appointment you will 

be given a tablet; together they induce a 

miscarriage. It can be painful, like a very 

heavy period, and you may feel sick or 

get diarrhea from the medication. 

Vacuum aspiration abortion – 5-15 weeks 

Gentle suction is used to remove the 

fetus. You may have a tablet placed 

inside your vagina a few hours before, 

and you will be given a general or local 

anesthetic. The procedure should take 5- 

10 minutes and you should be able to go 

home on the same day. You may have 

bleeding and cramps for up to 14 days. 

Surgical dilation & evacuation – 15-19 weeks 

This is also known as D&E. You will be 

given a general anesthetic and then 

narrow forceps and gentle suction will be 

used to remove the fetus, placenta and 

womb lining. It takes 10-120 minutes 

and you should be able to go home the 

same day. You may get cramping and 

bleeding for up to 14 days afterwards. 

Late abortion - 20 to 24 weeks 

There are two kinds of late abortion. A 

surgical two-stage abortion involves 

stopping the heartbeat of the fetus and 

then a D&E procedure the next day.  A 

medically induced abortion uses 

medication to induce labour, which will 

lead to a late miscarriage, with a D&E 

done later to clear the womb. Both types 

require an overnight stay in hospital.