![]() Abortion
Surgical and medical options are outlined below. Our team at Marie Stopes International is here for any questions you have and is happy to discuss these options with you. Your choice may depend on the gestation of your pregnancy, your general health, the support you may have from family and friends and, naturally, your personal preferences. The different options will be discussed in full during your consultation so you can make an informed choice. Please call our 24 hour freecall number 1800 003 707 or use our live webchat if you would like more information. Unsure about an abortion?
If you are unsure of what to do and would like to talk to someone to discuss your feelings and your options we can provide unbiased and confidential counselling . Many women are comfortable making the decision by themselves and don’t want counselling. However, don't feel that you have to make this important decision on your own if you don’t want to. For more information on our counselling services, please click here or call us on Freecall 1800 003 707.
Surgical abortionSurgical abortion is a safe and simple surgical procedure with a low risk of complication which only requires a short visit to the centre. The procedure uses gentle suction to remove the pregnancy from the uterus and is usually performed under IV sedation or under local or general anaesthetic if required. Before your procedure, you will have a consultation with a nurse and a doctor who will explain the process to you and give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. After the procedure, you will spend a short time in our comfortable recovery rooms where you will be able to rest in a recliner before being discharged. As you will have IV sedation (anaesthetic) you will be required to fast before your appointment and you will need someone to drive you home. Download the 'Abortion: Your Questions Answered' brochure. View frequently asked questions or further abortion information visit our abortion information website where you can chat online with one of our abortion experts. Medical abortionWe now also offer the option of medical abortion for pregnancies under 9 weeks.
Medical abortion is a method of terminating a pregnancy using medication instead of a surgical procedure and has been recommended by experts as the most effective and safest method of terminating early stage pregnancies.* Success rates are up to 98% in the first 9 weeks of pregnancy.
Medical methods of abortion have a number of advantages. There is no surgery involved and no anaesthetic is required (except in rare circumstances when a surgical termination is required to complete the process – about 2% of cases). In addition there is no need for injections or needles and you are not required to fast before your appointment. Feedback from clients shows that the benefits of a medical abortion are that it is non-invasive, convenient and more private. Your initial appointment at the centre will only take up to an hour and once you go home, you will have access to 24 hour on-call medical advice and assistance via our helpline.
As with surgical abortion, you will have consultations with a nurse and a doctor who will explain the process to you in full along with any side-effects you can expect from the medications and give you the opportunity to ask any questions. You can still change your mind at this stage and decide not to proceed or to have a surgical termination instead. To see a full comparison of surgical and medical abortion click here. Click here to view frequently asked questions. For further abortion information click here to visit our abortion information website where you can chat online with one of our abortion experts. *Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists UK “Guidelines for the Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion” (2004)
Your pregnancy will be calculated from the first day of your last menstrual period. Click here to use our interactive gestation wheel to work out how far pregnant you are. Alternatively please call our 24 hour helpline on 1800 003 707 for assistance. All our clients have an ultrasound to determine how many weeks pregnant they are before any procedure. |





