Information for Students and Researchers on Unplanned Pregnancy and Abortion
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South Australian, Australian and global circumstances of unplanned pregnancy and abortion.
South Australia Abortion & Support Services
Facing an unplanned pregnancy may be a significant time in your life and may mean making decisions that can be easier when you have support.
Services in South Australia provide pro-choice, non-judgemental, client centred and understanding health services for women and pregnant people with an unplanned pregnancy including abortion. Services are available from the Pregnancy Advisory Centre, most public hospitals in metropolitan Adelaide and also in some regional areas of South Australia. Some private obstetricians/gynaecologists also offer abortion services.
Counselling is voluntary and available to those who feel they would find this helpful.
The South Australian Abortion & Support Services website provides comprehensive information for women, partners, support people and health professionals about abortion in South Australia and clients are encouraged to look through this website before attending for an appointment.
If you cannot find what you are looking for on this website, please let us know by contacting HealthPAC@sa.gov.au
Confidential interpreting services from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are also available.
Important information when attending a service
It is necessary to make an appointment at one of the approved health services
- A referral from your doctor is not needed
- Some services have a fee and the cost will be explained to you with you when you attend for an appointment
- Please bring your Medicare Card and/or your Health Care Card with you to your first appointment
- If you would like to speak with a counsellor contact the Pregnancy Advisory Centre on (08) 7117 8999.
Making an appointment for a service in South Australia
What to expect
The Pregnancy Advisory Centre:
- provides high quality care for women, pregnant people and their partners in relation to an unplanned pregnancy
- is a pro-choice and person centred service meaning it is a pregnant person't right to decide when and how they will control her fertility
- treats all people with respect
- welcomes partners and other people important to them
- will affirm women's rights, experiences and feelings.
What we know
The Pregnancy Advisory Centre knows:
- fertility is not always controllable
- there is an inherent failure rate of contraceptive methods
- options and access to contraceptive methods in Australia are limited
- fertility control is influenced by social, cultural, economic, individual and relationship factors
- societal attitude towards abortion may have a profound influence on women’s experience of abortion
How we advocate and support clients
The Pregnancy Advisory Centre addresses the management of unplanned and unwanted pregnancy, through the provision of factual, evidence-based information, decision-making strategies professional counselling, contraception and abortion services.
Abortion services have a responsibility to provide a supportive, non-judgmental environment.
The Pregnancy Advisory Centre believes that women’s health status is largely influenced by women’s position in society, which does not always allow equal access to economic, social and political resources.
Fertility control is crucial to women’s health status as well as people who may not identify as a woman and as such abortion is a legitimate part of health service provision.
The Pregnancy Advisory Centre upholds the principles of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Amsterdam Declaration 2002.
Sexuality and gender diversity
The Pregnancy Advisory Centre acknowledges that people who are sex and/or gender diverse, those who do not identify as heterosexual, and/or live with intersex variation(s) can experience unintended pregnancies and offers a safe and inclusive service.
You might be experiencing an unintended pregnancy, requiring access to contraception, or be supporting a friend to do the same and the Pregnancy Advisory Centre can help with support, counselling, information and referrals.
The Pregnancy Advisory Centre website content is currently under review with regards to the language used to better reflect inclusive language that acknowledges that not all pregnant people identify as women
The Pregnancy Advisory Centre has established relationships with many other services such as SHine SA that can provide specialist information for the LGBTIQA+ community. The SHine SA website provides a list of service locations in South Australia as well as resources and services offered.