Abortion

Abortion is a medical procedure that ends a pregnancy. It may also be referred to as a termination or pregnancy termination.

Unplanned pregnancies happen to women of all ages and backgrounds. About 40% of pregnancies in Australia are unplanned.

It’s estimated that about one in 3 unplanned pregnancies are terminated.

In Australia, people can manage their own health needs and make informed choices about their health and wellbeing. They can also access safe medical or surgical abortion services. But it can be hard to find and access quality abortion services in some areas across the country.

Abortion in Australia is legal if done by a registered medical professional. But abortion laws vary between states and territories. These laws outline how and when women can access abortion.

Abortion is a personal choice. It can be a hard decision to make. There are many reasons why you might choose to have an abortion.

For example, if you:

• don’t feel ready or don’t want to have children
• feel your family is complete
• don’t have enough money to raise a child
• have physical or mental health conditions
• didn’t plan your pregnancy
• aren’t in a stable relationship
• are pregnant because of a sexual assault
• find out your baby is not developing as expected.

Regardless of the reason, it’s your choice to end a pregnancy.

If you have a medical abortion, you will have several hours of intense cramping. But the pain should ease once the pregnancy has ended. Your doctor can prescribe stronger pain medicine to help. You should be able to manage at home.

If you have a surgical abortion under general anaesthetic (while you are asleep), you will not experience any pain during the abortion. But you may have cramping for a few days afterwards.

If you have a surgical abortion under local anaesthetic, you are likely to feel mild to strong cramps during the abortion. It’s also normal to have cramping and pain that’s similar to a period for the next few days.

To relieve pain, you can:

• use heat packs
• take pain-relief medicine
• massage your belly (lower abdomen)
• rest.

If you have severe pain or pain that doesn’t get better with pain-relief medicine, talk to your doctor.

For one or 2 weeks after an abortion, you should avoid:

• heavy lifting
• physical work and strenuous activities
• having sex
• using tampons and inserting anything into your vagina
• having baths or going swimming.

You can choose to change contraception when you have an abortion. For example, you can have an IUD inserted during a surgical abortion or start the Pill after a medical abortion. This is important if you want to prevent future unplanned pregnancies.

Having an abortion is unlikely to affect your ability to get pregnant or have children in the future.

The cost of an abortion depends on many factors, including the type of abortion and whether you’re eligible for Medicare.

Some clinics and public hospitals may have lower fees, or there may be no charge if you are eligible. Your doctor can give you more information.

For current prices, visit the 1800 My Options website.

You generally don’t need a doctor’s referral to access abortion services, but this may depend on the type of service you need and where you go.

In most parts of Australia, if your doctor has a conscientious objection to providing abortion services, they must take steps to help you get timely access to care. A conscientious objection means someone refuses to provide a service due to personal beliefs and values.

You might need extra support before or after an abortion. You can talk to someone you trust, like a friend or family member. You can also get professional support from a counsellor.

If you have an unplanned pregnancy and don’t want to have an abortion, you don’t have to. You can continue the pregnancy and explore adoption and foster care options.

You can find more information about abortion from:

• your doctor
• a family planning or sexual health organisation in your area
• a local women’s health centre
• your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medical Service.

When looking for information about abortion online, we recommend you use reliable and reputable websites to make an informed decision. For example:

• MSI Australia (formerly Marie Stopes Australia)
• 1800MyOptions (Victoria)
• Children by Choice (Queensland)
• Pregnancy Choices Helpline (New South Wales)
• Pregnancy Advisory Centre (South Australia)
• 1800 4 CHOICE (Western Australia)
• Sexual Health and Family Planning (Australian Capital Territory)
• Tasmanian Government Department of Health (Tasmania)

For more information about unplanned pregnancy and pregnancy options, visit the Sexual Health Victoria website.