Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) supports women’s choices and the right to access public health care, including access to timely, affordable, emotionally, culturally and physically safe abortion (termination of pregnancy) services when needed at any stage of a pregnancy.
Accessing these services through your usual doctor/general practitioner (GP) or in your community may not always be possible, or the right choice, for all women and their circumstances.
Across Western NSW we have health services available, including the free WNSWLHD Pregnancy Options Care and Support service, to support women before, during and after abortion care. This can include support with making decisions about pregnancy, access to abortion services, counselling, after-care services, social supports and connecting women with services as close to home as possible.
Abortion care options
Many things can influence which abortion care choice may be right for different women, including:
- how far along the pregnancy is,
- social and emotional reasons,
- personal medical history or circumstances.
Each woman has the right to make a choice that is right for her.
Before an abortion can happen, an ultrasound and/or blood test is needed, to confirm the length of the pregnancy.
Learn more below about the three abortion care services in Western NSW.
Support, advice and counselling may be helpful for any woman considering ending a pregnancy.
Before an abortion, a woman may want to learn more or have counselling to help her decide if this is the right choice for her. This support can also be helpful if a woman has made the choice to end a pregnancy, or even after an abortion has happened.
Access to these services may be either face-to-face or virtual (by phone or video), depending on a woman’s location and personal circumstances.
Medical termination (abortion) involves a patient taking a medicine to end a pregnancy.
In most cases, if a woman is less than 63 days (nine weeks) along in her pregnancy, medical termination is safe to happen at home. After 63 days, medical termination of pregnancy will happen in an hospital setting or medical facility.
For pregnancies over 22 weeks, patients must have an appointment with a specialised doctor and the medical termination must take place in a hospital setting.
A surgical termination is a medical procedure caried out by a surgeon to remove a pregnancy. It takes place in the operating theatre of a hospital, day surgery or private clinic. Patients are under an anaesthetic (medicine to keep them asleep) during this type of abortion.
Surgical termination in Western NSW is available at hospitals in Orange and Dubbo. Other location options may be available throughout the region. The WNSWLHD Pregnancy Options Care and Support Service team can advise women of these options.
Accessing abortion care services
If you would like to talk to someone about abortion care, including understanding the choices available for your circumstances, or just to ask questions, the following choices are available to you.
- Doctors/GPs – either your usual GP or another one available to you in person or through a virtual service.
- WNSWLHD Pregnancy Options Care and Support Service
- Other healthcare professionals, such as women’s health nurses/clinics, specialist doctors (gynaecologist/obstetrician), hospitals and private medical clinics.
- Online services, such as the Pregnancy Choices Helpline and Family planning NSW websites.
Referrals to the WNSWLHD Pregnancy Options Care and Support Service
The free WNSWLHD Pregnancy Options Care and Support service can support women considering or seeking an abortion with:
- Advice about pregnancy choices, including counselling.
- Advice and guidance about available service providers, including those offered by WNSWLHD, GPs, private clinics and specialists.
- Arranging blood tests and ultrasounds.
- Travel and accommodation needs, as appropriate.
- Medicine needs and guidance.
- Follow up care for all abortion services.
- Contraception planning, advice and sexual health testing.
The service operates Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm (excluding public holidays). Outside these hours, callers can leave a message for the team, who will call you back the next business day.
To be sure a woman can get care as quickly and easily as possible, some of the abortion services needed may be offered virtually, while others will be face to face.
Self-referrals
Women can refer themselves to the WNSWLHD Pregnancy Options Care and Support service, either by phone or online:
Referrals from a GP or other medical professional
Any GP, private medical specialist, nurse, midwife or community health service (such as women’s health or sexual health clinic) can refer a woman to the WNSWLHD Pregnancy Options Care and Support Service.
Referral forms are available in your medical practice software. Completed referral forms should be sent via secure software to WNSWLHD-PregnancyOptionsTeam@health.nsw.gov.au
If a medical professional does not have the referral form in their practice software, they can use the phone number or online form listed above in the self-referral section.
Any pregnant person, even those under the age of 18 years, can get in touch with the WNSWLHD Pregnancy Options Care and Support service to learn more about their abortion care choices and get the support they need.
This is a free, safe and confidential service.