Putting Women First

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I speak to a pregnancy counselling service?

We offer referral for all women to professionally trained counsellors experienced in counselling women considering abortion.

Take care!

Some organisations advertising free pregnancy testing and unplanned pregnancy counselling are strongly opposed to abortion. They often attempt to mislead women by presenting themselves as an organisation which provides information about abortion as well as the other options.

They will not discuss all the options available to you in an unbiased way. If they talk about abortion as an option at all, it may involve negative, unpleasant, un-evidenced or untrue claims, and statistics.

They may not tell you how to access abortion treatment. Before you make any pregnancy counselling appointments, we recommend that you ask the organisation whether they will be able to refer you for abortion treatment.

How confidential is the service?

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 and will only do so if you agree.  We will not reply to third party enquiries even if they are made by husbands or parents.

What if I am under 18?

You can have an abortion at any age without parental consent. We will encourage you to tell another trusted adult about your intention to have an abortion, but this will be your decision. We do ask all of our patients under 18 to speak to one of our counselling team before proceeding with an abortion in order to ensure you have all the support you need. Your information will not be shared with anyone else without your expressed permission first.

Can my partner stay with me?

It is up to you if you have your partner or support person with you. If you wish they can be with you during your consultation and / or a surgical procedure. However, when you have the discussion with the certifying consultant we ask that you are on your own so that we can be sure that your decision to have an abortion is entirely yours without coercion.

What if I change my mind?

You can change your mind at any time - we want you to be totally sure. Call 0800 226 784  to cancel or rearrange your appointment so your appointment isn’t wasted. You can also call if you want to book some or more pregnancy options counselling.

Will abortion affect my ability to get pregnant in the future?

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.

Does having an abortion increase my chance of getting breast cancer?

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

Is abortion legal?

Abortion is legal in New Zealand providing it meets the terms of the 1977 Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act. The law allows doctors to end a pregnancy if after a thorough assessment they find that: 

  • continuing the pregnancy would be harmful to the physical or mental health of the woman 
  • there is substantial risk that if the child was born it would suffer mental abnormality or serious physical handicap.

You will be interviewed by two doctors whose role is to establish if all legal criteria for an abortion are met. The clinic will organise these interviews for you.

Abortion care must be carried out in premises such as The Women’s Clinic which are licensed with the Abortion Supervisory Committee.

Does the fetus feel anything?

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

What happens to the pregnancy remains?

After any surgical abortion, the pregnancy tissue is sent for cremation at a local crematorium. If you prefer to take the remains with you we can return them to you in a flax burial ipo with instructions on burial.

With early medical abortion (up to 9 weeks gestation), you will pass the pregnancy remains at home or another place of your choosing. You can decide how to dispose of the pregnancy remains. They can be flushed down the lavatory, or wrapped in tissue, placed in a small plastic bag and put in the dustbin. If you plan to bury or burn the remains, ask a member of staff for information about how you can do this safely.

If you have any other questions about the disposal of the pregnancy remains, please ask us.