Unplanned pregnancy: your options

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

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 discussing care, because abortion options can depend on the stage of pregnancy and where you receive treatment.

You can ask for a conversation about all your options. A useful opening might be: “I’m pregnant and I want to understand what is available before I decide.” Ask the clinician to explain any time limits that apply, and what the next appointment would involve.

If you are considering abortion, seek medical advice promptly. Access can become more limited and care more complex later in pregnancy. Getting information does not 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 with a GP or midwife in the UK, an obstetric clinician in the US, or your local pregnancy service elsewhere. You can ask about appointments and about any medicines you take.

Thinking about parenting can include practical questions about housing, income and childcare. If you already have children, you may want to consider what another child would mean for them. Write down what help you would want to ask for.

Continuing the pregnancy and considering adoption

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

Ask what independent legal advice and practical support are available before agreeing to anything. Ask about medical and legal costs, and what support is available after the birth.

Getting abortion care

Abortion may use medicines or a procedure. Which options are suitable depends on your health, the stage of pregnancy and local services and rules. WHO describes abortion as very safe when the method is appropriate for the stage of pregnancy and the person providing care has the necessary skills.

In England, you can contact a GP, a sexual health clinic or an abortion provider directly to discuss NHS care. The first assessment may take place by phone or at a clinic. Ask which service covers your area if you receive care elsewhere in Great Britain.

Northern Ireland has a separate route. Its government guidance directs people to BPAS, which refers to the local Health and Social Care Trust for a consultation. You do not need a GP referral for that route.

In the US, state laws affect whether, when and how abortion is available. Check current requirements with a licensed provider in the state where you would receive care, including if travel is involved. Rules can change, so ask for current information rather than relying on an old state-by-state list.

Check what a counselling service offers. ACOG warns that crisis pregnancy centres can look like clinics offering free pregnancy options counselling while sharing biased or misleading information. Ask directly whether a service discusses continuing pregnancy, adoption and abortion without steering you towards a particular decision.

Ask about privacy before sharing

Tell the clinic how you want to be contacted and ask about confidentiality before sharing information. In the US, HHS explains that HIPAA does not protect personal internet search history or location information. Personal health apps may also fall outside HIPAA protections.

Review location permissions and limit unnecessary personal information stored or sent through your device. These steps cannot remove every digital trace. Privacy settings cannot guarantee that no record of searching for or contacting a service will exist.

Get care for symptoms while deciding

Call 999 now (UK) or 911 (US), or your local emergency number, for heavy bleeding in pregnancy, or if pregnancy is possible and you have sudden severe tummy pain, shoulder-tip pain, marked weakness or fainting, even without vaginal bleeding. 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 today for light bleeding or spotting. You can get care for symptoms while deciding what you want to do.