Terminating a pregnancy

If you are thinking about terminating a pregnancy, you are facing an incredibly difficult and emotional choice. In the UK, it is legal to have a termination during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy and each year around 200,000 terminations take place. 90% of terminations are carried out within the first 13 weeks.

• The baby has a serious medical condition.
• The mothers own health is at risk.
• The mother was raped.
• Not feeling mature enough.
• Not feeling his/her lifestyle is conducive to bringing up a baby.
• Lack of financial resources.
• Not being able to cope with another child
  

You may want her to have a termination but she may want have the baby, or she may want a termination and you want her to keep the baby. This is obviously a very difficult decision but you must remember:

You have the right to explain your views, but not to force her to have the baby, or to terminate the pregnancy.

Think about how you really feel about the pregnancy, if you are feeling angry you must take time out before talking to her. Remember that you are both responsible for the pregnancy. If you are both unsure, take some time to think about what to do, this is a lifelong decision and should be discussed thoroughly. If you really want her to have a termination there is not much you can do except explain your views calmly and sensitively, but you must respect any decision that she makes, if she is going to keep the baby, you need to think about what your involvement will be and what kind of relationship you can have.

If you feel you need to talk to someone you can contact your GP about possible counselling and support.

• If the woman decides that she is going to have a termination, she can choose to go to her GP or to a private clinic. Two doctors must agree that a termination would cause less damage to a woman’s physical or mental health than continuing with the pregnancy. The woman has to sign a form to give her consent.
• In some areas the NHS covers 90 per cent of the cost, in others, under 60 per cent. If your partner goes directly to a private clinic, she will cover all the costs.

Before the procedure, the woman will examined given a blood test and tested for sexually transmitted diseases. An ultrasound scan, vaginal examination and cervical smear test are also sometimes performed. What happens next depends on how many weeks have passed since conception:

• Up to nine weeks: your partner will be given two drugs, 48 hours apart. The effect is similar to an early miscarriage. She may need a painkiller, and it may prompt nausea and diarrhea.
• Seven to 15 weeks: a small plastic suction tube, connected to a pump, is used to remove the foetus. It takes up to ten minutes and is carried out under local or general anaesthetic. Your partner may experience mild bleeding afterwards.
• After 15 weeks: surgical dilation and evacuation (D&E): Cervix is opened under general anaesthetic and foetus is removed with forceps and suction tube. Takes up to 20 minutes.
• Late abortion (20 – 24 weeks): takes place over two stages. Firstly, the foetus’ heart is stopped and the cervix softened. Alternatively, a drug may be injected into the womb, causing it to contract. The foetus and surrounding tissue is then removed the following day, using D&E.

The risks associated with this process are minimal, the main one is a risk of infection which can be treated with antibiotics.