Before Your Abortion
First, you need to take a test to confirm you are pregnant. You can take a pregnancy test at home, or you can go to a clinic. Some school nurses and university health clinics have free pregnancy tests.
It might be helpful to use the Pregnancy Options Workbook to help you decide what you want to do with your pregnancy.
If you want to talk to a person about your pregnancy, All-Options Talkline has free peer counselors to answer questions, listen, and offer accurate information for anyone in the US or Canada at 888-493-0092. Peer counselors are people who have lived through similar experiences and can give trusted advice.
Steps To Get an Abortion
If you choose to have an abortion, follow these steps:
- Review your abortion legal and privacy rights. You may need more support to get an abortion depending on your situation.
- Figure out the first day of your last period. It’s OK if you don’t know, your abortion provider can help.
- Learn about the types of abortion.
- Use a trusted abortion finder to search for a provider that meets your needs.
- Schedule your appointment and start preparing, including planning how to get there and how to pay.
- Have the abortion. If you have a medical condition, tell your provider before you get started.
- Take care of your overall health and wellness throughout your abortion. Tell your provider if you need more care or resources.
Travel and Other Logistics
There is help for arranging travel and other details to get abortion care.
The Northwest Abortion Access Fund, The National Network of Abortion Funds, or The Brigid Alliance can help you find or pay for:
- Abortion services
- Abortion doulas
- Somewhere to stay (lodging)
- Transportation
- Meals
- Childcare
People To Be There With You
Your abortion may be done in a clinic, and you might want someone with you for support. Ask your abortion provider if this is allowed. If they can’t be in the room with you, your support person can still go to the clinic with you and wait in the office or outside.
You may encounter protestors if you have your abortion at a clinic. They are not allowed to block you from entering the clinic and you do not have to interact with them. Some clinics have volunteer escorts or security staff who can walk with you into the clinic.
You may also want someone with you at home or wherever you are staying after your abortion or after you take medication abortion pills. Plan ahead and make sure your support person is available.
After Your Abortion
Our About Abortion and Medication Abortion pages can help you understand what to expect after your abortion.
If you are worried about what your body is doing, call your abortion provider. They will want to know if something doesn’t seem right to you.
Washington state Medicaid (Apple Health) can pay for health care services for 12 months after your abortion. Visit our How to Pay page for information about Apple Health.
All contraceptive methods (birth control) are safe and effective immediately after abortion. Talk with your abortion provider if you want to start or continue birth control after your abortion since you can often get it at the same time as your abortion and avoid multiple appointments.
If you need emotional support after your abortion:
- The Abortion Resolution Workbook can help you process your experience.
- Exhale has a nonjudgemental after-abortion chat service including talk and text.
- ReproCare is an anonymous health line that offers accurate information and emotional support.
- The Doula Project offers a medication abortion hotline with compassionate non-medical emotional and informational support from trained doulas.
- Connect & Breathe is a talk line staffed by people trained to listen and provide unbiased support after an abortion.