What happens during the abortion

If you are unable or do not wish to continue with a pregnancy, your GP or a doctor at a sexual health clinic will refer you to a clinic or hospital for an assessment. This is also where an abortion can take place. In some areas, you can go straight to an independent abortion clinic without being referred. Will I have to stay in hospital after an abortion?

It depends how many weeks pregnant you are and which abortion method is being used. Normally, you can go home the same day. If the abortion takes place after 20 weeks, you’ll usually have to stay overnight.
What happens during an abortion?

There are different kinds of abortion, depending on how many weeks pregnant you are. An abortion service should be able to offer you a choice of different kinds of abortion, but this may not always be possible.
Medical abortion

A medical abortion involves taking medication to end the pregnancy. It doesn’t require surgery or an anaesthetic, and can be used at any stage of pregnancy.

If you have a medical abortion, the first drug you take is mifepristone. This stops the production of hormones that allow the pregnancy to continue.