Sexual Health | Gynaecology for GUM | Termination of Pregnancy (Therapeutic Abortion)

Termination of pregnancy (therapeutic abortion)
Session overview
Description
This session will ensure the learner has an appreciation of the legality of therapeutic abortion; the different methods of therapeutic abortion; indications for each of these methods; the counselling of clients and abortion statistics by category.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• define the legality of abortion
• identify the procedures that should be undertaken before an abortion
• recognise the different forms of therapeutic abortion
• describe the indications for each method of abortion
• recognise the possible side effects and risks of abortions
• describe the counselling of clients
• define the categories of abortion statistics
   

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should read:

• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Best practice in abortion care. London: RCOG, 2022. View document.
• National Institute for Care and Excellence. NICE guideline 140. Abortion care. London: NICE, 2019. View website.
   

Induced abortion is one of the most commonly performed gynaecological procedures in Great Britain, with around 200,000 terminations performed annually in England and Wales and 13,000 in Scotland [1](read details regarding the reference).

Because of the varying arrangements for provision, the clinical management of women requesting abortion spans a number of care sectors and involves a range of professionals.