An abortion/termination is a procedure to end a pregnancy.
The pregnancy is ended either by taking medicines or having a surgical procedure. Most abortions in England, Wales and Scotland are carried out before 24 weeks of pregnancy.
They can be carried out after 24 weeks in very limited circumstances – for example, if the pregnant person’s life is at risk or the child would be born with a severe disability.
The decision to have an abortion is yours alone.
Impartial information and support are available in the UK from:
your GP or another doctor at your GP practice
a counselling service at the abortion clinic
organisations such as Brook (for under-25s), BPAS, MSI Reproductive Choices UK and NUPAS
Abortions can only be carried out under the care of an NHS hospital or a licensed clinic, and are usually available free of charge on the NHS
There are 3 main ways to get an abortion on the NHS
you can self-refer by contacting an abortion provider directly – the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), MSI Reproductive Choices UK, the National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory Service (NUPAS) or your local NHS sexual health website can tell you about eligibility and services in your area
speak to a GP and ask for a referral to an abortion service
contact a sexual health clinic (sometimes called family planning or GUM (genitourinary medicine) clinics) and ask for a referral to an abortion service
