Unplanned pregnancy: your options

You can continue a pregnancy and raise a child, continue and arrange adoption, or end the pregnancy with an abortion. Perhaps you already know what you want, or you may need information before you decide. You can talk about what matters to you and how each option would fit your life.

Start with the information you need

If you think you may be pregnant, take a pregnancy test. A healthcare professional can confirm the pregnancy and help work out how far along it is. This matters when you talk about care, because abortion options can depend on how far along you are and where you get treatment.

You can ask to talk about all your options. You could start with: “I’m pregnant and I want to understand what’s available before I decide.” Ask the clinician to explain any time limits that apply and what the next appointment would involve.

If you’re thinking about abortion, get medical advice soon. Later in pregnancy, access can become more limited and care more complex. Getting information doesn’t commit you to treatment. The NHS says you can change your mind before the abortion starts.

Continuing the pregnancy and parenting

If you choose to continue the pregnancy, arrange pregnancy care as soon as you can. In the UK, see a GP or midwife. In the US, see an obstetric clinician. Elsewhere, contact your local pregnancy service. You can ask about appointments and about any medicines you take.

Thinking about being a parent can include practical questions about housing, money and childcare. If you already have children, you may want to think about what another child would mean for them. Write down what help you’d want to ask for.

Continuing the pregnancy and considering adoption

Adoption means continuing the pregnancy and giving birth, then making legal arrangements for someone else to bring up the child. ACOG describes different arrangements for contact between birth families and adoptive families. Ask a qualified local adoption professional to explain consent, parental rights and future contact where you live.

Before you agree to anything, ask what independent legal advice and practical support are available. Ask about medical and legal costs, and what support there is after the birth.

Getting abortion care

An abortion can be done with medicines or with a procedure. Which options suit you depends on your health, how far along you are, and local services and rules. WHO says abortion is very safe when the method suits how far along the pregnancy is and the person giving care has the right skills.

In England, you can contact a GP, a sexual health clinic or an abortion provider directly to talk about NHS care. The first check may be by phone or at a clinic. If you get care elsewhere in Great Britain, ask which service covers your area.

Northern Ireland has a separate route. Its government guidance points people to BPAS, which refers them to the local Health and Social Care Trust for an appointment. You don’t need a GP referral for this route.

In the US, state laws affect whether, when and how you can get an abortion. Check the current rules with a licensed provider in the state where you’d get care, including if you’d need to travel. Rules can change, so ask for up-to-date information rather than relying on an old list of states.

Check what a counselling service offers. ACOG warns that crisis pregnancy centres can look like clinics offering free advice on pregnancy options, but share biased or misleading information. Ask directly whether a service talks about continuing the pregnancy, adoption and abortion without pushing you towards one choice.

Ask about privacy before sharing

Tell the clinic how you want them to contact you, and ask about confidentiality before you share information. In the US, HHS explains that HIPAA (a US health privacy law) doesn’t protect your personal internet search history or location data. Personal health apps may also fall outside HIPAA.

Check your location settings, and limit the personal information stored on or sent from your device. These steps can’t remove every digital trace. Privacy settings can’t guarantee there will be no record of you searching for or contacting a service.

Get care for symptoms while deciding

Call 999 now (UK) or 911 (US), or your local emergency number, for heavy bleeding in pregnancy. Call the same number if you could be pregnant and you have sudden severe tummy pain, pain at the tip of your shoulder, marked weakness or fainting. This applies even if you have no vaginal bleeding. For light bleeding or spotting, get help today. Contact your maternity or early pregnancy unit, or NHS 111 in the UK, your pregnancy clinician in the US, or your local urgent pregnancy service. You can get care for symptoms while you decide what you want to do.