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Abortion safety and types
Abortion is a safe and effective method of terminating a pregnancy when performed by a qualified health practitioner.
There are two kinds of abortions available in Aotearoa New Zealand – medical abortion and surgical abortion. Find more detailed information on the DECIDE website.
Complication rates for abortion are low. However, as with any medical procedure there can be risks, such as pain or bleeding. If you are concerned or wish to know more, please speak to your abortion health care provider.
Who can provide abortion services
In New Zealand, health professionals such as obstetricians/gynaecologists, general practitioners, nurses, and midwives are qualified to provide abortion care.
Abortion services can be accessed by both in-person and telehealth appointments (for early medical abortions). More information on locating in-person abortion services and on telehealth appointment options can be found on the DECIDE website.
Be aware of misinformation
Misinformation about abortion is prevalent online. For example, the concept of 'abortion reversal' is not supported by clinical research and can lead to severe side effects. You can read more in the Ministry’s position statement on ‘abortion reversal’.
Crisis pregnancy centres may advertise abortion counselling and services, but many are not regulated as medical institutions. They are often run by volunteers who are not registered health practitioners and are not bound by a health-professional code of conduct. Information and advice from these services are often medically inaccurate and biased against abortion.
Where to find trusted information and services
For trusted, regulated, and medically safe services you can visit:
- DECIDE (national abortion telehealth service) – or call 0800 DECIDE (0800 332 433)
- Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora
- your usual health care provider
- a Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa clinic.
Giving feedback and making complaints
People who receive abortion services are protected by the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers Rights.
Complaints and feedback are not published beyond the organisations responsible for investigating them. Information from complaints may be used to help inform future reviews from the Ministry of Health and other agencies that monitor abortion services. This helps improve equity and accessibility.
Giving feedback
We want to understand people’s experiences of abortion services — whether your experience was positive or if the service did not meet your expectations.
Anyone who has engaged with abortion services can provide feedback. Your insights help inform periodic reviews of abortion service provision and support Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora to improve people’s lived experience.
You can email your feedback to [email protected].
Making a complaint
If you feel comfortable, you can raise your concerns directly with the health practitioner or health clinic that provided the abortion service. It is best to do this as soon as possible.
You can make a complaint about your own experience or on behalf of someone else. For information about how to make a complaint, see Abortion and your rights (DECIDE).
You can also email the Ministry of Health [email protected] with your complaint.
We will confirm when we receive your complaint. We may ask you for more information and will contact you with the outcome once the investigation is complete.
The Ministry may refer your complaint to another organisation, such as Health New Zealand, the relevant responsible authority, or the Health and Disability Commissioner.
