There are a wide variety of reasons which will impel a woman to define her pregnancy as a crisis pregnancy, and to consider terminating that pregnancy.

In some cases, she will have experienced contraceptive failure.  In other cases, she and her partner may not have planned to have sex, and will not have used contraception.  In other cases, a pregnancy may become a crisis due to the diagnosis of a serious foetal abnormality, or due to other changes in the woman’s personal, family or health circumstances, or relationship issues.

Following the repeal of the 8th Amendment, which had given equal right to life of the mother and the unborn, abortion in Ireland is now regulated by the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. This means that a woman may decide to have an abortion for her own private reasons during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, and abortions may be provided in certain cases later in the pregnancy where the woman’s life or health is at risk, or if there is a case of a fatal foetal abnormality.

Following the passage of this legislation in late 2018, abortion services are now available in Ireland as of the 1st of January 2019. For women who have been pregnant for less than 12 weeks, the Dublin Well Woman Centre and other services can provide you with an early medical abortion.