Deciding to have an abortion is not always an easy thing for a woman to do, and it can take time to make a decision that feels right for you.
The important thing to remember is that it is your body and your choice to continue with a pregnancy or not. Some women find it very helpful to talk things through with someone, such as a trusted friend or family member, or a nurse or counsellor at a young person’s or family planning clinic.
If you are thinking about having an abortion, it might be helpful to think through what impact a baby might have on your life at this point; will you have to give up school or work, do you have somewhere suitable to live, what kind of support would you get from families and friends, will you have enough money?
How do you get an abortion?
To have an abortion you need to be referred by a doctor. This could be your GP, or it could be a doctor at a family planning or a young person’s clinic. If the referral is for an NHS abortion it can take between two and four weeks before the abortion will take place. If you go privately, for example with Marie Stopes or the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, there will be a shorter waiting time.
Some doctors have a moral objection to abortion and choose not to refer their patients for one, but they must let the woman know of their objections and refer her to another doctor.
If you think or know you are pregnant and don’t think you can have a baby it is important that you speak to a healthcare professional as soon as possible, especially if you are considering having a abortion.
All women can access information on pregnancy choices free on the NHS. The majority of those women wishing to have an abortion will be referred to a private healthcare provider but the care will be covered free on the NHS. There might be regional variations that depend on the health and well-being of the woman, her age, and how far advanced the pregnancy is.
If you do decide to have an abortion it's better for your health to have it earlier on in the pregnancy because there are more types of abortions that can be offered to you. These can all be discussed when you go to a pregnancy choice consultation.
If you've got doubts about your choices it's probably better to talk to someone - increasing your options is always a good thing. Besides, ignoring the fact that you're pregnant isn't going to make it go away.
Depending on where you live in the UK and how old you are there's certain legal limits to consider too.
Abortions at a private practice
Some women prefer to have an abortion through a private clinic because generally there is a shorter waiting time. Going privately an abortion can cost between £450 and £1,775, depending on which stage of pregnancy the woman is at.