SHV Box Hill Clinic
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
901 Whitehorse Road Box Hill VIC 3128
shvic.org.au
1800 013 952
Our CBD clinic will be relocated to our Box Hill clinic from 28 May 2026. Learn more.
Abortion is the termination (end) of a pregnancy. Most abortions are performed during the first trimester of pregnancy (up to 12 weeks), but some may be performed in the second trimester (12 to 24 weeks) or, in rare circumstances, in the third trimester (24 to 36 weeks).
Many international studies show that women who have had an abortion are no more likely to experience long-term psychological or emotional problems than women who have not had an abortion. While many women undergoing abortion experience negative emotions, including guilt, the majority feel abortion was the right decision.
Medication (non-surgical) abortion offers an alternative to surgery for women in the early weeks of pregnancy. The most well-known method of medication abortion uses mifepristone in combination with another drug, misoprostol, to end a pregnancy up to nine weeks. Mifepristone is also known as RU486 or the ‘abortion pill’.
It is estimated that around a quarter of all pregnancies in Australia are unplanned. For many people abortion, also known as termination of pregnancy, is the best option in their circumstances. Abortion is a safe and common method to end a pregnancy. In Australia surgical abortion is most commonly performed during the first trimester of pregnancy (up to 12 weeks) but can be performed later.
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