The following page outlines your options and provides information around emergency contraception and unplanned/unexpected pregnancy. You may be feeling all sorts of feelings, from shock to fear to excitement - whatever you feel is valid, irrespective of whatever decision you make about your pregnancy. You'll find support resources at the end of this page if you would like to discuss your feelings, and there are informational resources throughout.
In the UK, it is legal to have an abortion up to 24 weeks gestation (and after that in very specific circumstances regarding your health). You have the power to decide which option is best for you, and your feelings and choices are completely valid.
Please note that this page goes into medical detail on emergency contraception, how abortions are carried out, and some health risks.
Emergency contraception
If you have had unprotected sex, forgotten to take your normal contraception, or the condom failed, you can get emergency contraception up to a maximum of 5 days after having sex.
Emergency contraceptive or ‘morning after’ pill
These are tablets you take orally to prevent pregnancy. 1-3% of people who take the emergency contraceptive pill become pregnant (NHS Inform). There are 2 types of ‘morning after’ pill:
- Levonelle – you must take this a maximum of 3 days (72 hours) after sex
- ellaOne – you must take this a maximum of 5 days (120 hours) after sex
It is best to take either pill as soon as you can. You may not be able to take these tablets if you are allergic to their ingredients, are already taking particular medication, or have certain medical conditions, but medical staff can advise, and you should always read the accompanying leaflet.
You may experience some mild effects, such as dizziness, tiredness, headache, or breast and abdominal pain. Your period may also be delayed.
You can get the emergency contraceptive pill free from your GP, sexual health services, and most pharmacies. If you have difficulty getting it free from a pharmacy, you can get a free prescription from your GP.
IUD
You can also get the IUD (copper coil) fitted as emergency contraception up to 5 days after having sex, and be removed 3 weeks later if you want, or it can stay in as your regular contraception. The emergency IUD is 10 times more effective than the morning after pill at preventing pregnancy (NHS Inform).
The IUD is a small plastic and copper implement placed in your womb. You should speak to your GP before having an IUD fitted, especially if you have cardiac issues.
In rare cases, you may experience pain, infection, womb damage, or the IUD coming out.
You can get the IUD for free from your local sexual health service, and some GP services.
When you find out you are pregnant, you have three options:
- Continue with the pregnancy and keep the baby
- Continue with pregnancy and put the baby up for adoption
- Termination/abortion
Continuing with the pregnancy
After taking an at-home pregnancy test, you should contact your midwifery team at your local health board. If you live in St Andrews or wider Fife, you can contact the midwifery team on the NHS Fife website or make a phone booking Monday-Friday 10:00-12:00 on 01592 643355 ext. 28374. If you live in Dundee or are covered by NHS Tayside, you can do this through the NHS Tayside website or call the central booking team Monday-Friday 10:00-14:00 (Dundee: 01382 632866, Perth: 01738 473270, Angus: 01241 822536). If you live in areas covered by other health boards, you can find their contact details on the NHS Inform website. You may also be able to make your first midwife appointment by calling your GP practice.
From this first appointment, which happens in the first 8-12 weeks of your pregnancy, you’ll discuss your care needs, and find out more about what to expect during your pregnancy and your appointments, scans, and tests. The NHS Inform website have a page on the usual screening offered during pregnancy. You get to choose what tests or scans you have.
You may find NHS Inform’s Ready Steady Baby page useful during your pregnancy and for the first few weeks after birth. They have easy read and other language versions at the bottom of the page.
It is recommended that you speak to the University as soon as you feel ready to address any absence or other needs around giving birth. If you are a PGR student, speak to your supervisor as soon as you can.
You may also find the following resources helpful:
Adoption
You may be considering placing the baby up for adoption after following through with the pregnancy. If this is the case, you should talk to your doctor or midwife, and they can find appropriate information and put you in touch with a social worker. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) have some information about adoption on their website which answers some early questions. You can also contact BPAS if you want to talk through your options and find out more information about adoption (Monday-Friday 07:00-18:00, Saturday-Sunday 09:30-14:30 on 01789 508 211 or textphone for D/deaf or hard of hearing on 0345 365 1450). You may also find information around adoption generally on the Adoption Scotland website.
Abortion
The Law
Abortion is legal in the Scotland, as long as it meets the stipulations of the Abortion Act 1967:
- The person who is having an abortion/termination consents to the procedure
- The decision to terminate the pregnancy is shared by two medical practitioners
- The pregnancy is no further than 24 weeks
- Continuing the pregnancy would cause more risk to the mental or physical health of the pregnant person, any existing children within the family, or the unborn child
- The termination is carried out in an NHS hospital or other registered place legally allowed to carry out an abortion
You can find out more about the legalities of abortion in England, Scotland, and Wales from the NICE website or the UK Government legislation website.
Types of terminations
There are broadly speaking 2 types of abortions/terminations: medical (using medication), and surgical (involving an operation). The NHS service or clinic will be able to advise you on which form you may be eligible for. It’s important you are as accurate as possible about the duration of your pregnancy, to ensure you get the best possible care.
Your clinician may also suggest some scans or tests to confirm how far along your pregnancy is, and to check for other medical conditions/needs, before undertaking the termination to ensure you get appropriate care.
Medical abortion
This involves you taking an initial tablet, and then taking a different tablet (or possibly 2 tablets) 36-48hrs later. You will bleed and pass the pregnancy that way.
You may be able to take these tablets at home, or you may need to take them in hospital/clinic, depending on if you have other medical conditions, or you don’t want to have your abortion at home. The abortion service will be able to give you full advice about the medical abortion and how you need to take the medication.
Surgical abortion
This is generally a short procedure taking only 10 minutes, in which the pregnancy is removed using suction. You may need to take a tablet beforehand to prepare your cervix for the procedure.
You can have the operation under general anaesthetic (asleep), sedation (you’re awake but sleepy), or local anaesthetic (your cervix is numb but you’re awake).
Abortion after 20 weeks
You may need to travel to a specialist service in England if your abortion is after 20 weeks. Your local health board can advise and make the referral as needed. An abortion after 22 weeks will likely come in 2 stages (an injection, and a surgery the following day).
How to access an abortion
Abortion or termination of pregnancy is offered on the NHS free to everyone at point of use, including for international students (check the UKCISA website for specifics, including the immigration health surcharge, or talk to the Student Immigration Service by emailing [email protected] if you are unsure). You don’t need to ring your GP, you can contact your local health board directly:
- If you live in St Andrews and wider Fife: call the sexual health service on 01592 643355 ext. 25445, Monday-Friday, 12:00-16:00. You can also use the self-referral form.
- If you live in Dundee or Tayside: call 01382 496762, Monday-Friday 08:00-17:00. If you call outside of these hours, the answer phone message will tell you what to do.
- If you live in an area covered by another health board, you can find their details on the NHS Inform website in the drop-down menu ‘Health board contact details.’
You may be offered an in person or telephone consultation to assess your situation and medical history, to give you information about the procedure, and to discuss contraception. You may also be offered a counselling session if you are unsure if you would like an abortion or not.
Risks & side effects
As with any medication, surgery, or medical treatment, there are risks with having an abortion, though the risks are low. Excessive bleeding and damage to the cervix are possible issues which can arise during medical or surgical abortion, and damage to the womb may occur due to a surgical abortion. You may also experience an infection, but these can be caught and treated early. Having a termination does not increase your risk of breast cancer, mental health issues, or prevent you from becoming pregnant in the future. Complications should be explained to you as part of your treatment, and you have the right to ask about these if you are concerned.
If you do experience any complications, you should ring your clinic’s 24hr contact number (you’ll be given this following the abortion).
NHS Inform have a page on side effects and risks during and following an abortion.
Can I change my mind?
The decision to have a termination is yours and no-one else’s. The health workers are there to give you the information you need to make an informed decision.
You can change your mind up until the moment you take the medication or receive the surgery, if you would like to.
Common experiences before & after an abortion
Having an abortion is a very personal experience, and there is no ‘right’ away to react to the situation. You may have very strong feelings in one direction or another, or you may have mixed feelings. Whatever you feel is valid, and you won’t be the first person to feel what you are feeling.
You may find counselling or other support useful, such as:
- Your clinic/doctor can signpost to local support services or refer you to specialist counselling
- BPAS if you were treated in one of their clinics (Call: 03457 304030)
- Alternatives Counselling & Listening Rooms for people in Tayside
Abortion in the rest of the UK
Abortion is legal in England and Wales, under the same terms as Scotland, under the Abortion Act 1967.
The NHS website has general information on abortion in England and Wales, though much of the same information is available here and on the NHS Inform website. If you live in England or Wales outside of term-time and find you are considering abortion while outside of Scotland, you will still be able to access an abortion, either through BPAS, a referral from your GP, or your local sexual health clinic.
Abortion is legal in Northern Ireland under The Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020. If you live in Northern Ireland outside of term-time, you will be able to access an abortion in Northern Ireland. You will need to contact BPAS directly to organise an abortion and talk through your options. If you cannot access an abortion in Northern Ireland (such as for an abortion beyond 20 weeks), you will have free access to abortion elsewhere in the rest of the UK.
Supporting someone who is considering abortion
If a friend, partner, flatmate, or family member is considering abortion, you may want to know how you can best support them. It's important to remember that it's their choice to have an abortion or not. Take care of yourself when you are supporting them too, and make sure you take space and time for yourself when you need it.
Here are some resources that might help:
General signposting
No matter what choices you are considering, you may find some of the following resources helpful:
University
External