If you want to terminate a pregnancy, you can have an abortion, no matter how old you are. In Sweden we have free abortion by law until week 17+6, which means that if you are pregnant you can have an abortion for any reason. If you need to terminate a pregnancy between weeks 18+0-21+6, you can apply for permission from the National Board of Health and Welfare.

If you want to terminate a pregnancy, you can have an abortion, no matter how old you are. In Sweden we have free abortion by law up to week 17+6, i.e. if you are pregnant you can have an abortion for any reason until then. If you need to terminate a pregnancy between weeks 18+0-21+6, you can apply for permission from the National Board of Health and Welfare. Reasons for the application may include, for example, a difficult social situation, malformations of the fetus, substance abuse or illness of the pregnant woman. Having an abortion can be psychologically stressful, especially if the pregnancy is wanted. An abortion does not affect your ability to get pregnant in the future. You are entitled to counseling if you wish, before or after the abortion, and you can book the counseling through the clinic where you have the abortion. It can feel good to talk about the pregnancy and abortion together with your partner.

You can make a medical or surgical abortion. Medical abortion involves terminating the pregnancy using pills and surgical abortion involves a minor operation. The Abortion Act governs the rules on abortion, so you have the right to have an abortion up to week 18 for any reason. You have the right to change your mind at any time before the abortion. If you are pregnant and wish to have an abortion, you should go to an abortion clinic or gynecological clinic.

Medical abortion

Medical abortion is the most common method of terminating a pregnancy and can be used in any week of pregnancy, during the period when abortion is allowed. You start the abortion by taking a medicine at the abortion clinic, then you go home. After a few days, you may (sometimes) come back to the clinic where you will be given another medicine that causes the uterus to contract. In some cases, you can do the second step at home, if you have someone at home to support you. It is important that you are not alone. After a few hours, there will usually be vaginal bleeding with lumps in it where the pregnancy is expelled. You may bleed for different lengths of time after an abortion, but usually you will bleed for about two weeks. The bleeding should gradually decrease. You will often be given a home pregnancy test to take around three to four weeks after the abortion.

If you have a medical abortion after the first trimester, you always have it in hospital. You will often go home the same day. Sometimes there may be remnants of the pregnancy, such as parts of the placenta. If the abortion is not complete, the doctor may need to complete the procedure with a surgical scraping.

Surgical abortion

You can have a surgical abortion in the first trimester, but not very early in pregnancy. The procedure is usually quick and therefore a short operation. Sometimes you may be given a drug to soften the cervix first. After this, you will be put under anesthesia and the pregnancy will be gently suctioned out of the uterus using a thin tube connected to a suction. Once the operation is over, you will be allowed to recover for a few hours in the clinic before going home. As a rule, you will bleed less after a surgical abortion compared to a medical one.

After the abortion

It is difficult to predict how you will feel after the abortion, but it can be easier if the abortion is a joint decision and you have support in your decision to abort. In any case, you are the one who decides about your body and whether you want to have an abortion or not. Some may feel depressed while others may feel relieved, or a mixture of many different emotions. It may be particularly difficult if you have had children before and have experienced a different outcome of pregnancy, which is evident in the contrast with the living child you already have. If you feel that you need counseling support after the abortion, you can contact the clinic where you had the abortion; for example, they have counselors attached to the clinic. Counseling is free of charge. If you are a partner in a pregnancy, you may also feel bad about an abortion and may also need to talk to someone.

The abortion clinic will tell you where to go if you have complications related to the abortion, such as infection or heavy bleeding, and what to do while you are still bleeding. You are entitled to contraceptive counseling after the abortion if you wish.

You can read more about pregnancy here.