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The Global Library of Women’s Medicine
Enhancing the Welfare of Women
Expert Health Information for Women
Abortion Care
For some women and girls, carrying on with a pregnancy is not right for them. They may choose to have an abortion. An abortion is a procedure to end a pregnancy.
This happens by taking tablets or via a short surgical procedure. You might have heard this called ‘induced abortion’ or ‘termination of pregnancy’.
Abortion is very common. Worldwide, 3 out of 10 women will have an abortion in their lifetime.
A medical abortion involves taking two different sets of tablets, usually a day or two apart.
These tablets will cause abdominal cramps, bleeding and clots until the pregnancy has gone. This may happen at home or in the hospital.
A surgical abortion is a procedure in which the pregnancy is removed from the womb by a small tube in the vagina.
It can be done with pain relief/numbing agents (local anesthetic) or medicines which make you sleepy/asleep (sedation or a general anesthetic).
This must be done in a healthcare clinic or hospital by a trained healthcare worker.
Both medical and surgical abortions are very safe when carried out by a healthcare professional who is properly trained.
It is normal to have some pain and bleeding following an abortion. This can happen for a week or two. This should get better with time. Most women who have an abortion have no problems.
A small number of women may bleed heavily or develop an infection. Sometimes the procedure is not complete and more treatment may be needed.
A sign of this can be pain or bleeding that does not go away, or fever. If this happens or you have any questions, you should speak to your healthcare worker.
Abortions performed by healthcare workers properly trained to perform them do not affect your chance of becoming pregnant again and they do not affect your fertility in the future.
Abortions carried out by people who are not trained to perform them can be unsafe and dangerous. Unsafe abortions can lead to heavy bleeding, severe infection, damage to the womb and even death.
These problems can occur within the first few hours, days or even weeks after an abortion.
If you have had an abortion that was not done by a trained healthcare professional and you feel unwell, you should go to a healthcare worker as soon as possible.
Abortions are safest and easiest when they are done when the pregnancy is very early. This means less pain and bleeding during and after the procedure and means there are fewer risks.
After an abortion, you can get pregnant again very quickly, sometimes within a week.
If you don’t want to get pregnant again, speak to your healthcare worker and they will help you find a way of preventing pregnancy which suits you.
There are other videos on contraception and family planning in this series, which explain your options.
For some women, the decision to end a pregnancy can be difficult. You should talk to someone you trust if it is safe to do so.
The decision to have an abortion is yours, and should not be decided by anyone else, including your partner or your family.
You must be sure to check and follow the law about abortion that applies in the country in which you live.
For more information about abortion in your country, please talk to your healthcare worker or check online.
The authors of this ABORTION CARE programme are:
- Dr David Rook
Specialty Trainee in Sexual and Reproductive Health, Liverpool, UK - Dr Sinead Cook
Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Health, NHS Grampian, UK
The Welfare of Women programme has been created under the General Editorship of Dr Kate Lightly, University of Liverpool, UK and is overseen by an expert International Editorial Board