Abortion FAQs

Most women living in the UK (excluding Northern Ireland) can have their treatment paid for by the NHS or another government department (97% of BPAS clients in 2018). Check if this applies to you when you call 03457 30 40 30 to book.

If you are a European national currently in the UK but do not have access to NHS funding and are more than 10 weeks pregnant, please contact the Abortion Support Network for advice on funding: www.asn.org.uk/

If you need to fund your own treatment click here for prices

Very – we understand the need for confidentiality and have a legal duty to protect your privacy. We keep information about you safe and secure. It’s usual for healthcare providers to inform GPs that we have treated their patients - we will ask you if it is OK to contact your GP. Click here for more information about your health records.

We collect the minimum information needed to treat you safely, legally and check if your treatment can be funded by the NHS. We protect all the information you give us and use it to deliver and improve care.

If your treatment is uncomplicated it won’t cause any issues with future pregnancies. There is no proven connection between abortion and future infertility, ectopic pregnancy or other pregnancy complications. Abortion can be associated with future pregnancies ending before the due date; this risk increases with each abortion but the medical evidence is not enough to show a connection. We use evidence based information to provide you with all the information necessary to make the decision that is right for you. A healthcare professional will explain all the known risks and complications associated with your treatment choice.

No - there is no proven link between breast cancer and abortion.

Abortion is legal in England, Scotland and Wales providing it meets the terms of the 1967 Abortion Act. The law allows doctors to end a pregnancy if they believe that: 

• continuing the pregnancy would be harmful to the physical or mental health of the woman or her existing children
 
• an abortion would be less risky than continuing the pregnancy, or
 
• there is substantial risk that if the child was born it would suffer mental abnormality or serious physical handicap.

Two doctors must certify that the legal grounds for abortion are met, but do not have to meet the woman personally.

Abortion care must be carried out in premises which are licensed with the Department of Health and which are regulated.  BPAS provides abortion treatment up to 24 weeks.

When there is a substantial risk to the woman’s life, or a fetal (foetal) abnormality, there is no legal time limit for abortion. Abortions after 24 weeks must take place at NHS hospitals. The charity ARC Antenatal Results and Choices provides information and support about fetal abnormality.

If you have been referred to your GPs for blood tests, you will be contacted once the results are back from the GP surgery. BPAS cannot chase GPs for blood results but as soon as the results are back you will be assessed for suitability of treatment and be contacted.

Abortion treatment is very safe, especially in the early weeks of pregnancy. No clinical procedure is without risk and these are fully explained to you before treatment.

Pills by Post is for clients who have a gestation of 9 weeks and 6 days or under however the decision will be made after your consultation after a medical practitioner has assessed you fully.

The best treatment for you depends how many weeks pregnant you are, the results of your medical assessment and your preference. The abortion treatment type we offer you will be based on clinical opinion and best practice guidelines. We’ll discuss this with you fully before treatment.

This depends on the type of abortion you choose, and your own pain tolerance limit. We will make you as comfortable as possible. 

• Vacuum aspiration (local anaesthetic) up to 12 or 14 weeks - you will feel cramping similar to period pain. You are given pain relief tablets and a numbing injection to the neck of your womb (cervix). 
• Vacuum aspiration with conscious sedation up to 14 weeks – you are relaxed and sleepy and will feel little or no pain.  You will be given a numbing injection to the neck of your womb and sedative medication is given through a cannula (thin plastic tube) placed into a vein in your hand
• Dilatation and evacuation from 15 to under 24 weeks - over 18 weeks this is done under general anaesthetic so you will  be unconscious and  feel no pain during the procedure. Anaesthetic or sedative medication is given through a cannula (thin plastic tube) placed into a vein in your hand.  From 15 to 18 weeks treatment is usually done with conscious sedation so you will be relaxed and sleepy and will feel little or no pain.
• Early medical abortion up to 10 weeks (70 days) - you will have strong cramping similar to period pains.  We can give you strong codeine and you can also take ibuprofen. 
• Medical abortion over 10 weeks (70+ days) - gas and air and painkillers are given as needed for the contractions experienced during labour and delivery. Over 22 weeks gestation you will need feticide which involves mild discomfort during the injection to your tummy.

Current research shows that the senses of the fetus are not developed enough to feel pain before 28 weeks gestation.

The scan is required to know the exact gestation so that the appropriate treatment can be arranged. We understand some clients are a little anxious when they are booked in for a scan, the scan consultation is very discrete.

We make sure you won’t see any images unless you want to.

To protect clients and staff and to comply with infection control measures we are restricting the number of client companions/escorts allowed into our clinics. Click here for more information.