Medical Abortions Melbourne: A Guide to the Procedure

"Why is there not just a simple national website that lists the providers, what they can offer, what they can't, if they're free or if they charge and then their number?" she says. In the lead-up, she was required to undergo counselling with one of the hospital's social workers, and make arrangements for a birth and death certificate, given the foetus was more than 20 weeks. Her doctor had called Orange Health Service but was told their abortion service had been "suspended". Distraught, Kate went back to the GP and then had to wait several days for an ultrasound, which confirmed she was still pregnant — now 20 weeks along. Kate was meant to have a blood test 10 days later to confirm the pregnancy had passed. Most people with a story of obstructed access to abortion prefer to conceal their identities.
Please note that Bayside Health Peninsula is unable to provide appointments to everyone referred to the service. Following referral, a member of our team will contact you to arrange an assessment. Healthdirect Australia acknowledges the medical abortion melbourne Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners and to Elders both past and present. There are many reasons someone might choose to terminate a pregnancy. Children by Choice has an Easy English leaflet about pregnancy choices and abortion.

Taking a pain reliever half an hour before misoprostol can alleviate discomfort. From their offices in Brisbane, the counselling service Children By Choice provides guidance to women like Amy as they grapple with the difficult decision. Once bleeding starts, it is normal to pass large blood clots and clumps of tissue. After the first few hours, your bleeding should settle to the same level as your normal period and remain like this for the next few days to a week. You can also expect an onset of heavy vaginal bleeding within the first 24 hours of taking the second dose of abortion medication.
The Women’s provide this information on the understanding that all persons accessing it take responsibility for assessing its relevance and accuracy. Women are encouraged to discuss their health needs with a health practitioner. If you have concerns about your health, you should seek advice from your health care provider or if you require urgent care you should go to the nearest Emergency Dept.
Five more clinics will gradually open in the second half of 2026. More information about the new clinics will become available once the clinics become operational. For her, she told me, “it was really a feminist calling to do abortions”. Abortions after surgical gestational limits involve an induction of labour in a hospital setting. After a medical consultation, prescriptions can be filled at a local pharmacy or sent via post.

Having an unplanned pregnancy can be a scary and emotional time – and finding the right support makes the world of difference during a stressful time. Staff may need extra time with some patients or may be called to another part of the hospital. Contact your nearest  clinic to find out what services they offer and when they are open.
A range of factors must be taken into account such as health cover, Medicare rebate and services required. Most abortions are performed using ‘suction (vacuum) aspiration’ or ‘suction curettage’. To have this procedure you need to be in your first trimester (first 3 months or 12 weeks) of pregnancy. “We knew that social work was important in this space, but had not quite anticipated the high level of demand for Sarah’s skills in the clinic. We recently celebrated Sarah’s 200th referral for abortion counselling/social work and could not provide this level of comprehensive care without her,” says Ms Chaouki. Further information regarding how to take abortion medications will be provided in your appointment at The Butterfly Clinic, and instructions are also contained in your medication package.
Afterwards, we recommend allowing 24 – 48 hours to rest and recover. Most patients feel ready to resume normal activities after this period. If a surgical termination is the most appropriate treatment, an appointment will be arranged at Epworth Freemasons Private Hospital in East Melbourne. The closure of Hampton Park's day surgery means there are now only two remaining private providers in Melbourne. While AHPRA regulates health professionals, the Victorian Department of Health licenses and regulates private hospitals and has the power to fine them.

Advocates say that surgeries such as hip replacements are often given higher priority. The reasons range from budgetary and resourcing pressure to stigma and conscientious objection. "Improvement of services always relies on champions, and if there's not a champion nothing will happen," Professor Baird says. In 2023, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) relaxed restrictions around MS-2 Step, allowing more GPs, nurses and midwives  to prescribe the medication and more pharmacists to dispense it. She says while Australia is "out in front" in terms of decriminalising abortion, that hasn't always led to improved access — "and in some cases, like NSW, barely at all".
As Australia’s first private abortion clinic, the Fertility Control Clinic provides women access to high quality and safe termination of pregnancy and contraception. The key things we need now include more GPs providing medical abortions – especially in rural and regional Australia – and more doctors who will provide surgical abortion care, including at the later stages of pregnancy. We also need more basic training to introduce students to abortion. The actions of our medical schools and public hospitals will be central to meeting these goals. South Australia’s 2024 data is the most detailed, most current, and most rigorously collected abortion dataset in Australia, and it functions as the closest available proxy for national trends. If you’re looking for an abortion clinic in Melbourne, we invite you to visit us at the Fertility Control Clinic.

Demand in Victoria for both medical and surgical procedures already outstrips available services. Philip Goldstone — the national medical director of MSI Australia, one of Victoria's main private providers of abortion and contraception services – said first-trimester surgical abortions were generally very safe. The Abortion and Contraception Service at the Royal Women’s Hospital provides medical and surgical abortion, pregnancy options counselling and contraception counselling and services to eligible patients.
When you feel ready and you have been assessed by the nurse, someone will need to drive you home. This person should be organised by you before you attend the clinic. Most people do not need counselling or support from a professional to make a decision about abortion. Once you have all the information you need and have consented (agreed) to a surgical abortion, you can go ahead with the procedure. Medication abortions are only prescribed until  9 weeks of pregnancy.