Abortion Care

Abortion During Covid-19
06 January update

Early Medical Abortion

Abortion is a common and safe procedure used to end a pregnancy. 

  • In Ireland you can have an abortion for any pregnancy that is less than 12 weeks. The law in Ireland says that pregnancy must be dated according to your last menstrual period.
  • If you have been pregnant for less than 9 weeks, the IFPA can provide you with an early medical abortion. This means you will take medication to end the pregnancy. You will need to have two consultations with a three-day wait in between them.
  • If you are between 9 and 12 weeks pregnant you can have your first consultation with the IFPA, then we can refer you to have a medical or surgical abortion in a hospital.
  • If you need a space to explore your feelings and any issues or concerns, you can make an appointment with one of our specialist pregnancy counsellors.

Information leaflets

We have created two information leaflets to show you how to take the abortion medication and help you understand what it is like to have an early medical abortion.

You can read this information in English, Romanian, Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, Arabic, French, Polish, or Urdu.

During the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, our priority is to keep our clients and our staff safe and well by reducing contact to the absolute minimum. And we’re doing our best to ensure that the quality of care you receive is at the same standard as in normal times.

If you are over 12 weeks pregnant

If you are more than 12 weeks pregnant, you can only get an abortion if there is a risk of serious harm to your health or if you have a diagnosis of a fatal foetal anomaly. If you are over 12 weeks pregnant but want an abortion for different reasons, you may need to travel abroad for abortion care.

Our specialist pregnancy counsellors are there to support you and give you any information you need.

Cost

Abortion care is free for women living in the Republic of Ireland. We also provide specialist pregnancy counselling at no charge. This service is funded by the HSE.

Getting an abortion at the IFPA

You do not need to be a previous client of the IFPA to book an appointment for abortion care specialist pregnancy counselling or post-abortion/post-decision counselling with us. Simply call your preferred clinic – Dublin City Centre or Tallaght – or the Lo-call appointment line 1850 49 50 51 and speak to one of our receptionists.

We support any decision that you make about a pregnancy, and we are here to listen and help you carry out your decision whether that is parenting, abortion or adoption. Our free counselling service provides information and emotional support for women and girls going through a pregnancy, as well as their families and partners.

Coronavirus/COVID-19

Abortion care is available through both of our clinics during the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. Most people will have their first abortion consultation by phone and will come into the clinic for their second consultation. You’ll find a Step-by-Step guide to how we are currently providing abortion care here and more general information about early abortion care here.

If you have symptoms of coronavirus/COVID-19, are awaiting a test result, or are a close contact of a confirmed or suspected case, you should not come to the clinic.  In this case, both appointments with the doctor will be by phone. You can then nominate someone to collect your Home Care Pack.

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