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AbortionQuick links What is abortion? Abortion is when a pregnancy is ended or terminated. Sometimes this can happen naturally in the body, this is called a miscarriage. An induced abortion (usually called abortion or termination) happens when a fertilised egg is removed from the womb, either by taking pills to expel the pregnancy or by a surgical procedure. Many pregnancies are unplanned. If you find out you are pregnant, you may decide to keep the baby, have an abortion or have it adopted. Some women know immediately what to do, for others it can be a difficult decision. Clear information and advice can help you decide what you want to do. This can be a difficult decision for fathers too. Some will want to share the decision, others will not want to be involved at all; many will support their partner's decisions even if it conflicts with their own feelings. Even where there is no relationship a father may feel he has the right to be informed although he has no legal right to be informed or involved in the decision. It is up to the mother to decide whether or not she wants to keep the baby. In England abortion is legal before the 24th week of the pregnancy. How do you know if you are pregnant? If you are pregnant you will show some or all of these symptoms:
If you are displaying these symptoms and believe you may be pregnant you can take a pregnancy test at one of these places . If you are pregnant, you have three basic choices: CHOICE A : Continue the pregnancy and keep the baby. The next step Once a pregnancy is confirmed you will need to speak to a doctor as soon as possible. You can either talk to your GP or to a doctor or nurse in one of these clinics . The decision you make about your pregnancy is very important and finding out information on all of your options will be essential in making up your mind about it. Ignoring your pregnancy, or leaving your decision to the last minute, however, could mean that your options are limited. Though the maximum legal time limit for abortion in the UK is 24 weeks, it is often difficult to access beyond 12 weeks of pregnancy. Many clinics therefore advise any woman considering abortion to start the referral process early - especially as there can be long delays between referral and the procedure itself - on the understanding that she can change her mind at any time. What happens if I want to have an abortion? If you are thinking about having an abortion you need to speak to a doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will help you cope with what you are going through and help you to make the right decision. They will also discuss whether or not you want your parents to know about the abortion. A doctor is only allowed to give you the go ahead to have an abortion if they believe you understand what's involved. Even if a doctor agrees, they may still encourage you to involve a parent or a concerned adult for support (though they will not go behind your back and tell your parents). The doctor will talk through the different types of abortion available and make sure you understand the possible risks involved. Once the doctor has signed the referral form you will need to telephone the booking line to book an appointment.
Abortions must be performed in a National Health Service hospital or a clinic approved by the Department of Health, click here for a list of clinics. Legal abortion is very safe; there is little risk, particularly in early pregnancy. There is an extremely small risk of damage to the womb with repeated abortions, and abortions in late pregnancy. However early abortions are safe and usually don't affect your health or your chances of having a baby in the future. Abortions on the NHS are free but the availability of them varies around the country. There are different types of abortions depending on how many weeks pregnant you are. Can be carried out up to 9 weeks. This method is also known as the abortion pill but this is not a very accurate description, as it does not involve simply taking a pill. It involves 2 trips to the BPAS clinic in Bedford Square, Central London drugs are used to cause an early miscarriage. The pill is given first and works by blocking the action of the hormone that makes the lining of the uterus (womb) hold onto the fertilised egg. The other a vaginal pessary is given 48 hours later, causes the uterus to cramp. The lining of the uterus breaks down and the embryo is lost in the bleeding that follows, as happens with a miscarriage. Surgical abortion Can be carried out between 6 and 15 weeks. Vacuum aspiration simply means suction. During a vacuum aspiration abortion a thin, round-ended plastic tube is eased into the uterus through the cervix, the passage that links the vagina to the womb. The contents of the uterus pass into the tube using a gentle pump. It is possible to have a vacuum aspiration abortion under local anaesthetic or general anaesthetic. At the North Middlesex Hospital general anaesthetic is given. The operation takes 5 minutes but you will be kept in the hospital for 2-3 hours to recover from the anaesthetic. You will not have to stay overnight. Later surgical abortion These are carried out over 16 weeks or on women with serious medical problems. You will be refered to the Royal Free Hospial for assesment and the procedure. You will probably have to stay overnight. After the abortion After an early or surgical abortion you can usually return to school, work or college the next day. You may find it helpful to see a counsellor. They can be found at the clinic where you had the abortion, even if it a long time after the abortion, or you can get help or advice from one of these organisations. After three weeks you will be given a follow-up appointment to check all is OK and to discuss your contraceptive choices. It is possible to become pregnant again within two weeks of having an abortion. For health reasons you should avoid having sex until after you've had a follow-up examination with your doctor. When you do have sex again you should always use a condom to reduce the risk of infection and pregnancy. Must my partner give his permission? No. Your partner's permission is not required for you to access abortion. Whilst many women want the involvement and support of their partners, for others this is not appropriate. Must my parents give their permission? Women under 16 may have an abortion, without parental involvement, if the doctor believes the young woman is mature enough to consent to the procedure she is requesting. In most cases however, young women do choose to involve a parent or other responsible adult. Whilst many parents are initially shocked or upset for their daughter, most do offer their support. Read more about confidentiality and parental involvement . What sort of people have abortions? Women of all ages and from all backgrounds access abortion, for a wide and complex range of reasons. Abortion is a common medical procedure - over 1 in 4 women by the age of 45 will decide to end a pregnancy. Can I arrange the abortion myself? Whichever way you access abortion, you will need two doctors' signatures approving the procedure. If you do not want to access abortion through the NHS, you can go directly to an independent provider, though you will have to pay for it. What if I change my mind? You can change your mind right up to the point of starting the procedure. Can I keep it secret? You might be tempted to keep the pregnancy secret while you pluck up the courage to talk to your parents or partner, but it is important to get good medical care and advice from early on in pregnancy. As soon as possible, talk to a professional who can help you and will keep your conversation confidential. You might want to continue with the pregnancy against the wishes of your family or partner. If you feel that you are at risk of harm within the home because of your decision, you need to contact someone who can help: Childline, tel: 0800 1111 www.childline.org.uk/ Should you decide to end the pregnancy, the decision to have an abortion is a matter between you and your healthcare team. All information and treatment is confidential. This means that information about you cannot be shared with anyone else without your agreement. The hospital or clinic where you have an abortion is not required to inform your GP, but many abortion services do this so that the GP can provide appropriate care afterwards. They should only do this with your consent. If you do not want your GP to know, you should tell the staff providing your abortion care. For more information about Abortion and Pregnancy visit: Education for choice |
