Abortion is a medical procedure that ends a pregnancy. It may also be referred to as a termination or pregnancy termination. It’s estimated that about one-third of unplanned pregnancies are terminated.

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 start contraception on the day 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:

• the type of abortion
• your stage of pregnancy
• where you have the abortion (e.g. public or private clinic)
• if you are eligible for Medicare
• if you have private health insurance
• if you need to travel to a clinic.

If you have a Medicare card and visit a private clinic:

• medical abortion may cost $100 to $500
• surgical abortion may cost $400 to $600.

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.

You don’t need a referral from your doctor to book an abortion.

In Australia, if your doctor or health care professional has a conscientious objection to helping you get an abortion, they must refer you to a doctor who will help. 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 decide to keep your baby
• continue the pregnancy and put your baby up for adoption or foster care.

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.