Abortion: what happens
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If you’ve decided to have an abortion, here’s what you can expect.
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.
Your medical assessment before abortion
The assessment will be the same if you go directly to an independent provider (such as the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (bpas) or Marie Stopes) without going to your GP.
During the assessment you:
- can discuss your reasons for requesting an abortion and how certain you are of that decision
- should be offered the chance to discuss your situation with a counsellor
- can talk to a nurse or doctor about the abortion methods that are available
- can discuss contraceptive options to prevent a further unplanned pregnancy
- might be tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)...
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