What do I need to do in order to have an abortion?
You can ask for an abortion. You do not need a referral from your GP and you can contact a hospital with a gynaecology department directly. You do not need to explain to the hospital why you wish to have an abortion and there is no requirement for a cooling-off period.
When you contact us, you will be asked when you had your last period. This will make it possible to determine how far along you are in your pregnancy and how soon you should have an appointment at the hospital.
No-one is allowed to force you to have an abortion. It is not permitted to carry out an abortion against your wishes.
It is free of charge to have an abortion
Everyone who is resident in Norway has the right to have an abortion in accordance with the Abortion Act (lovdata.no) (in Norwegian). Abortion is free of charge for women who are resident in Norway. Employees from the EU/EEA who do not live in Norway but work here are, as a general rule, also entitled to have abortion-related expenses covered. See further guidance on foreigners' rights to coverage of healthcare expenses in Norway here: Foreigners in Norway – Helsenorge.
How is an abortion performed?
You will be asked to come in for an appointment at the hospital in order to undergo an examination. During your appointment, you will meet the doctor, nurse or midwife. During the examination, they will measure your blood pressure, listen to your heart and lungs, take a blood sample and perform a gynaecological examination. They will also perform an ultrasound examination to confirm how far you have progressed in your pregnancy. The length of your pregnancy is important in determining whether you can have an abortion at home or if it needs to be done in hospital. You do not have to watch during the ultrasound examination.
There are two methods of terminating a pregnancy prematurely: surgical abortion and medical abortion. More than 90% of abortions before the 12th week of pregnancy are currently carried out as medical abortions.
Until the end of the 12th week of pregnancy, you can be involved in determining the abortion method that will be used. After the end of the 12th week of pregnancy, only medical abortion is available. Find out more about abortion methods here.
Health professionals will explain to you how the abortion will be performed and what complications might occur. If you decide to go through with your pregnancy, you will be given the information and guidance you need and are entitled to during the rest of your pregnancy.
Health professionals are required to provide information and guidance objectively, without expressing their own personal opinions.
You can change your mind until the abortion procedure is under way.
Home abortion
Until the end of the 10th week of pregnancy, you can have an abortion at home. If you decide to have a home abortion, you will first be given a drug that will stop your pregnancy from developing further. The tablet is taken at the hospital. Two days later, you will be asked to go back to the hospital to have another drug, which will help your body expel the foetus. You will also be given painkillers to take if necessary. You will then be able to go home and have the abortion at home.
A home abortion should not be carried out if you cannot have someone at home to support you. Abortions can be emotionally difficult and some people experience severe pain.
Abortion in hospital
You have the right to have your abortion performed in hospital if you wish, regardless of how far you have progressed in your pregnancy. After the tenth week of pregnancy, abortion is not available at home.
In hospital, medical abortions are performed in the same way as abortions at home, except that you will remain in hospital until the abortion has been completed.
The length of your pregnancy may affect where in the hospital you are admitted when you have your abortion. In some places, abortions are carried out as a day procedure in an outpatient clinic, while elsewhere, the procedure is performed on a gynaecological ward. In the case of abortion late in pregnancy, special pain relief and expertise may be necessary, which means that the abortion must be performed in a maternity department.
Surgical abortions are performed by a doctor, who will remove the contents of your uterus via your vagina. You will be placed under general anaesthesia during the procedure.
After the abortion
While you are still bleeding, you should not have baths or swim in the sea or a swimming pool due to the risk of abdominal inflammation. You should also not use tampons or have sexual intercourse without a condom.
Your body will take a few days to adjust to not being pregnant. This means that any nausea, breast engorgement and other symptoms may continue for a week after the procedure. The further your pregnancy has progressed, the more pronounced and prolonged these symptoms may be. If your symptoms do not subside after your abortion, contact your GP or the hospital to make sure you are not still pregnant.
Contraception after an abortion
You can fall pregnant again very soon after having an abortion. You should therefore consider whether you need to use contraception after your abortion and, if so, what type of contraception you wish to use. During your preliminary examination at the hospital, you will be given guidance and advice on contraception.
Are you under 16?
If you are considering having an abortion, you have the right to receive information and guidance that is appropriate for your age and maturity. You can contact the hospital directly about having an abortion. You can also talk to a public health nurse or your GP to get help with contacting the hospital.
If you are under 16 and wish to have an abortion, your parents or guardians should generally be told about it by the health service. Parental support is important for many people. If you have sound reasons why you do not wish your parents to be informed, your wishes will be respected.
It is you who decides whether or not to have an abortion. This also applies if you are under 16.
Abortion after week 18
You must apply to an abortion board if you wish to have an abortion after the end of the 18th week of your pregnancy (17 weeks and 6 days). The board will consider your application and decide whether or not you can have an abortion, based on certain conditions (reasons) stipulated in the law. The conditions for abortions are described in the Abortion Act (lovdata.no) (in Norwegian).
You and your doctor must jointly prepare a written statement explaining why you wish to terminate your pregnancy. You can also write this statement yourself. Your doctor will send the statement and the application to an abortion board in your health region.
List of abortion boards (Helsedirektoratet.no) (in Norwegian).
At many hospitals, you will be offered a counselling session with a social welfare counsellor both before and after the meeting with the board. If you are not offered a counselling session automatically, you can request to have one.
How will the application be processed?
Applications for abortion are considered by an abortion board, which will consist of a doctor, a member with health or social expertise and a lawyer. You have the right to appear before the board if you wish, but this is not compulsory. For some people, it may be appropriate to attend the board meeting via a video link. If you wish to do so, you can bring someone with you to the meeting. Both you and any companion will be entitled to reimbursement for your travel expenses to attend the board meeting.
During the board meeting, you will be able to explain in more detail why you wish to terminate your pregnancy. The abortion board is required by law to place a strong emphasis on how you see your situation.
If your application is denied, it will automatically be referred to the Norwegian national appeals board for abortion applications (Norwegian: Abortklagenemnda). You will also have the right to appear before the abortion appeals board if you wish.
Need someone to talk to?
Some people find it difficult to decide whether to go through with their pregnancy or have an abortion. You may also react differently to having an abortion, regardless of whether you had the abortion early or late in your pregnancy. It is common to feel relieved, sad or a mix of different emotions. It can be helpful to talk to someone. People you trust can be good discussion partners.
If you need someone else to talk to, you can contact Amathea, which is a free guidance service supported by the government.
Alternatively, you can contact your GP, health centre, hospital, family counselling office or social services. You will then be put in touch with someone you can talk to, who can give you information both before and after a possible abortion.
The "Veiledning Helsenorge" guidance service at +47 23 32 70 00 can also provide information about who you can talk to regarding abortion
Anyone who has had an abortion is entitled to follow-up discussions. Who provides this service will vary depending on where you live. For example, the hospital or your GP or health centre may provide this service. It may be a good idea to ask about this when you attend for your examination before you have the abortion. Not everyone will need follow-up afterwards, so this is an optional service.
All of these professionals and services are bound by a duty of confidentiality.
Helsenorge.no also has an automated chat service, which is available 24/7.