FAQs

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What's the time limit for an abortion?
Is abortion safe?
Who can refer a woman for an abortion?
Can someone under 16 have an abortion?
Is the "morning after pill" the same as an abortion?
What methods are used for abortion?
Will it hurt?
Will I be able to have children in the future?
I've heard that chlamydia can affect my fertility - is that true?
How much does an abortion cost?
What happens to the foetus afterwards?
Will people see or treat me any differently after I have an abortion?
Are there any long-term effects?
Where can I get help?

What’s the time limit for an abortion?

The maximum legal time limit for most abortions is 24 weeks. However, the vast majority are carried out before 13 weeks of pregnancy – beyond this, abortions are more difficult to obtain.

Only in exceptional circumstances, i.e. when the pregnancy threatens the woman’s life (or risks causing her serious and permanent injury), or where the fetus is at risk of serious disability, can an abortion take place beyond 24 weeks.

There can sometimes be delays between a doctor referring a woman for an abortion and the actual procedure. Sometimes this delay can push the woman over the time limit for services in her local area and so she may have to travel to another part of the country to access an abortion. Sometimes this delay can result in the woman being beyond the legal maximum time limit of 24 weeks, which means she will not be able to have an abortion. Acting quickly is therefore important as it helps to keep options open.

Is abortion safe?

In this country, doctors are trained to carry out abortions and are used to performing them. They do so using the correct drugs and methods. This means that abortion procedures here are very safe, carrying only a small risk of complication. Where abortions are carried out in early pregnancy, the risks are reduced further. How does abortion affect women? and The Royal College of Obstetricans and Gynaecologists' booklet, ‘About abortion care: what you need to know’ gives further information about the risks associated with abortion.

If a woman has particular concerns, though, she should talk these through with her doctor. For most women, having an abortion is safer than carrying a pregnancy to term and experiencing childbirth.

Who can refer a woman for an abortion?

Two doctors must approve a woman’s decision to end her pregnancy. A woman can usually obtain the first approval (otherwise known as a ‘referral’) from a doctor at a family planning or young person’s clinic like Brook. Most GPs will also refer for abortion. The second approval is normally given by the doctor at the clinic performing the abortion.

If a woman does not want to access an abortion through the National Health Service, she can choose to contact an independent abortion clinic (such as BPAS or Marie Stopes) herself. Two doctors at the independent clinic can then give the approval necessary for the abortion to take place.

Please note that some doctors will not refer women for abortion because they hold moral or religious objections to it. Where this is the case, the doctor should always make alternative arrangements for the woman to be seen by another doctor. To avoid any delays or confusion it is worth calling ahead to check that doctors at any particular clinic can and do refer. If not, she can find out more about supportive local services by contacting the fpa helpline on 0845 310 1334.

Can someone under 16 have an abortion?

Women under the age of 16 can have an abortion. Most young women choose to involve their parents or carers in their decision to end a pregnancy, and doctors will always encourage a young woman to do this. However, if the doctor agrees that discussing it with them is not in her best interests and she cannot be convinced otherwise, the doctor will try to ensure that another appropriate adult is there to support her, both during and after the procedure.

Is the ‘morning after pill’ the same as an abortion?

No. The morning after pill is a form of emergency contraception, so it works to prevent a pregnancy from occurring. An abortion is a way of ending a pregnancy that is already established. This means that if a woman took emergency contraception after becoming pregnant, it would not be effective.

What methods are used for abortion?

The vast majority of abortions take place at under 13 weeks of pregnancy, when one of two methods may be used. A doctor will discuss the available options with the woman so that where there is a choice of method she can reach a decision on the best one for her.

Early medical abortion:

This method is usually used up to 9 weeks into pregnancy, though it can be used beyond that. It is often known as the ‘abortion pill’ though this isn’t very accurate as it does involves more than just taking a pill.

Medical abortion involves taking hormonal medication that causes the loss of the pregnancy through a process similar to miscarriage.

Some women prefer this method of abortion because it avoids the use of a local or general anaesthetic, or the use of any instruments. It is, like all methods of abortion in the UK, a very safe procedure. This procedure usually means that the woman will need to visit the clinic three times.

Vacuum aspiration:

This method is the most commonly used procedure and can be used up to 15 weeks into pregnancy. It involves inserting a narrow tube through the cervix and into the uterus. The tube will then be attached to a hand held pump, which will gently suck away the contents of the uterus. Again, this is a very safe method of abortion, in which complications are rare.

Later abortions:

Other methods of abortion may be used in later pregnancy. Whilst they are still safe procedures, these methods will be more invasive for the woman to experience: Dilatation and Evacuation, Surgical Two Stage Abortion and Medical Induction.

Will it hurt?

People experience pain differently – with early medical abortion some women don’t need any pain relief, others may require mild relief and others may ask for stronger medication. If the woman has an abortion under general anaesthetic she won’t be able to feel anything at all during the procedure, though she may want pain relief afterwards. Clinic staff should always be able to offer a choice of pain relief both during and after the procedure.

Will I be able to have children in the future?

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is clear that infertility and abortion are not linked: a straightforward abortion will not lead to infertility.

Occasionally, an infection may result after an abortion that, like any infection, could become serious if left untreated. If a woman experiences continuous and heavy bleeding, lasting pain or abdominal tenderness, or a temperature she must see a doctor immediately as these could be symptoms of an infection. Such infections are usually very easy to treat, but if they are not treated promptly they can result in complications that might lead to infertility.

I’ve heard that Chlamydia can affect my fertility – is that true?

Yes. In the UK the sexually transmitted infection, Chlamydia, is a leading cause of infertility in young women. It is estimated that as many as one in ten women under the age of 24 have Chlamydia. Many clinics therefore test women for this infection at the time of an abortion, in order to reduce the risk of it causing infertility. Chlamydia is easy to test for and can be effectively treated with a course of antibiotics if it is detected early enough. To avoid re-infection it is important for the woman’s partner to be tested and treated also. Chlamydia that remains untreated in men can affect their fertility too.

The young people’s clinic, Brook, has clinics around the country and offers confidential testing for sexually transmitted infections including Chlamydia. The confidential fpa helpline 0845 310 1334 can also give information about supportive services local to the caller.

Consistent condom use is essential in reducing the risk of both infection and unintended pregnancy.

How much does an abortion cost?

Most abortions are provided for free of charge through the NHS. If a woman wanted to arrange an abortion with an independent clinic herself, though, she would pay between £445 and £1200. As earlier abortions are simpler to perform, the earlier they take place the less expensive they are.

What happens to the fetus after the abortion?

After an abortion the products of conception are usually incinerated, though if she prefers the woman can discuss other arrangements with the clinic, such as burial or cremation. The clinic should make every effort to accommodate her wishes.

Will people see or treat me differently if I have an abortion?

Abortion is much more common than most people realise – by the time they are 45 more than a quarter of women in Britain will have experienced an abortion. So though they may not know it, everyone knows someone who’s had one. However, people hold strong opinions about abortion, so the reaction a person gets may not always be supportive. This might be because some people think abortion is wrong in principle, or because they have a very different view about a particular situation.

If a woman wants to share her feelings about her decision and doesn’t feel able to talk to her friends or family about it, or is worried about it going beyond a few trusted individuals, she can always talk to a specialist counsellor in confidence, either before or after an abortion. Brook Advisory clinics, BPAS and Marie Stopes all offer this service. For their contact details, click here.

Are there any long-term effects?

Most abortions involve straightforward procedures and so there should be no long-term physical effects following an abortion. Contrary to belief, there are no links between abortion and breast cancer, and a straightforward abortion will not lead to infertility.

Women’s feelings after an abortion differ and are strongly influenced by the circumstances in which she made her decision, the reasons for having an abortion and how comfortable she felt with the decision. Where a woman is confident that she made the right decision for her, she is most likely to feel ok about it.

Women most commonly report feeling relieved after an abortion, though this may be mixed with other emotions such as sadness. Women may revisit the experience on key dates like the anniversary of the abortion and use this time to reflect on their decision. This is a healthy response to a big decision in her life and most women are able to look back on their abortion and see that for them, at that particular time in their life, it was the right decision to make.

Some women may have more difficulty in coming to terms with their decision, especially if they felt pressured into making the decision in the first place, or were not sure they made the right decision at the time. It is unlikely that an abortion will lead to a severe psychological illness. Studies show that where women do suffer from such an illness after an abortion they were likely to have suffered from it beforehand.

Any woman who is unsure of whether abortion is the right choice for her, or is having difficulty coping afterwards can access help and support from Brook, Marie Stopes and BPAS. For their contact details, click here.

Where can I get help?

For help in thinking through your pregnancy options and making your own decision, for a referral for abortion, or support after one, contact Brook, fpa, BPAS or Marie Stopes. Click here for their contact details