Pregnancy - unplanned

Are you pregnant?

Unplanned pregnancies are common. It is estimated around 50% of all Australian pregnancies. Not all unplanned pregnancies are unwanted.

Unintended pregnancies occur for all sorts of reasons. It is your decision to decide whether to continue or terminate your pregnancy.

Emergency contraception can be taken up to 5 days after unprotected sex. You can choose emergency contraceptive pills or the non-hormonal copper IUD.

How to tell if you are pregnant

It is important to confirm your pregnancy as soon as you can, so you can start considering your options.

Signs and symptoms of early pregnancy can vary and may include:

• missed periods
• nausea and vomiting (called ‘morning sickness’)
• breast changes
• fatigue
• frequent urination
• changes in appetite – such as cravings or distaste for some foods.

If you know the date of your last period, you can use a gestation calendar to calculate how many weeks you are. If not, a doctor or nurse can help you work this out.

Confirming your pregnancy with tests

Tests check your blood or urine for a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) that is unique to pregnancy.

Pregnancy is usually confirmed by a:

• urine test – done in your own home or medical clinic
• blood test – requested by a doctor.

Ultrasounds can also confirm a pregnancy, but they are usually done at a later stage.

The most common mistake is to test for pregnancy too soon after the missed period.

You can do a test at home or in a doctor’s surgery or health clinic.

Home pregnancy tests

A home pregnancy test is convenient and you get the results in a few minutes. They can be bought from a pharmacy or supermarket.

Basically, you either wee on a test stick or dip a test strip into a small sample of urine to get the result.

It is best to do the test in the morning and around the time your period is due. Sometimes, if a test is done too early, you may get an inaccurate result. Be aware that false-positive and false-negative results can happen.

Home pregnancy tests are up to 99% accurate if you strictly follow the instructions on the packet.

If you suspect you may be pregnant or don’t feel comfortable doing a home test, see your doctor (or family planning clinic). Doctors and nurses can also discuss any issues you may have so you can weigh up your options.

Pregnancy tests in a surgery or clinic

If you do your test in a doctor’s surgery or a clinic in your community, the doctor or nurse may:

• ask you to pass urine (wee) into a small container to test a sample of your urine
• send you for a blood test at a pathology clinic to confirm the result (blood test results usually take at least a couple of days to come back).

Getting help to consider your pregnancy options

If pregnancy is confirmed, you can then work out what information, support and medical care you need to make a decision.

The sooner you can decide, the more options you will have.

Talking with trusted people in your life can help you reach your decision about the pregnancy and provide you with support and information. It can be a partner, friend, family member, teacher, school counsellor or health professional.

For more information visit Pregnancy: a decision-making guide.

Support and counselling for unplanned pregnancy

If you have an unplanned pregnancy, deciding what to do is not always easy. Remember, unplanned pregnancies are common, and you don’t have to decide on your own.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, you can seek support from a specially trained counsellor. A counsellor can provide you with comprehensive, impartial information on your pregnancy options, and enable you to consider them.

Counselling should be non-biased and non-directive – meaning that they cannot direct or push you into deciding what to do. Counsellors must provide you with accurate information so you can make an informed decision.

Various services provide pregnancy counselling – many are free, or at a low cost so you get a rebate from Medicare.

Pregnancy counselling is available in different settings such as hospitals, family planning clinics, sexual and reproductive health services and community health services.

If you live in Victoria, contact 1800 My Options (Tel. 1800 696 784) – a confidential free service that provides information and advice about pregnancy options and help you find further support. Further services are listed in the ‘where to get help’ section of this fact sheet.

Unplanned pregnancy from sexual assault and family violence

In Australia, as many as 1 in 4 women are affected by violence that includes sexual assault, family violence and reproduction coercion and abuse. An unplanned pregnancy can occur as a result from sex they did not agree or consent to.

You may have been pressured (coerced) into it. Reproductive coercion and abuse is where you do not have control over your sexual and reproductive health.

Examples of reproductive coercion and abuse from perpetrators that may lead to unintended pregnancy includes:

• threats and physical violence
• controlling, tampering or taking away contraception
• forced sex or any forced sexual contact
• blackmailing as a sign of love or commitment to a relationship.

Sexual assault and family violence are illegal and may occur with a stranger or someone you know (such as a family member).

If your pregnancy results from sexual assault or family violence, specialist services are available to support you every step of the way.

Services and support available in Victoria include:

• 1800 Respect Tel. 1800 737 732 (24/7) – national domestic family and sexual violence counselling service
• Sexual Assault Crisis Line Tel. 1800 806 292
• Safe Steps – Family Violence Response Centre Tel. 1800 015 188.

What are my options if I have an unplanned pregnancy?

It is entirely your choice as to what do if you have an unplanned pregnancy. This is regardless of your age and whether you are in a relationship or not.
Options include:

• continuing the pregnancy and becoming a parent
• ending the pregnancy (having medical or surgical abortion)
• continuing the pregnancy and choosing adoption or alternative care arrangements for the child.

Continuing the pregnancy and becoming a parent

If you choose to continue with the pregnancy, pregnancy care is important for you and your baby’s health.

Your GP can arrange tests and medical assessments, and give you information about:

• what care is recommended during the pregnancy
• public or private services
• various birth options for the birth
• how and where you can receive antenatal care – your GP can make the referral for this care.

Abortion (ending the pregnancy)

Abortion is when a pregnancy is intentionally ended. Abortion is safe and legal in Victoria. There are 2 types of abortion:

• medical abortion – can occur early in your pregnancy (up to 9 weeks)
• surgical abortion – commonly performed during the first trimester of pregnancy (usually up to 12 weeks) but can be provided up to 24 weeks gestation. In some circumstances, abortion can be performed beyond this.

Medical abortion is provided by some GPs, community health services, private clinics, and hospitals.

Surgical abortion is provided by some hospitals and private clinics.

There are not as many services available if a surgical abortion is performed beyond 16 weeks.

Everyone’s abortion experience is different, and it depends on your individual circumstances. Studies show those who make an informed decision to have an abortion and receive trusted support are unlikely to experience long-term psychological or emotional problems.

Seeking help for abortion

If you are finding it difficult to decide or feel distressed about abortion, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You may like to talk to someone you trust (such as a partner, friend, family member, school counsellor, teacher or a health professional).

Support, before and after the abortion, can help you to work through your decision and find ways to cope better with the experience.

Call 1800 My Options(Tel.1800 696 784) for information about counselling options and where to access abortion services in Victoria.

Alternative care or adoption

If you feel you need more time to prepare for the responsibilities and challenges of becoming a full-time parent, there are alternatives to placing the child for permanent adoption.

For example:

• Your extended family may be able to be involved in caring for the child.
• Temporary foster care can be arranged where a child lives with and is cared for by another family until the birth parent or parents can care for and have their child live with them.

The Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing oversees permanent and temporary care of children. If you are considering this option, contact your regional permanent agency. For more information, see their Children in care page.

You may decide to continue with the pregnancy and then place the child for adoption. The adoptive parents will then become the child’s permanent, legal parents.

For more information on adoption, see Considering adoption for my child.

Where to get help

• In an emergency, call triple zero (000)
• Your GP (doctor)
• Pharmacist
• Nurse-on-Call Tel. 1300 60 60 24 – for expert health information and advice (24 hours, 7 days)
• Your school nurse or welfare coordinator. Some secondary schools provide access to an adolescent health trained GP on site
• Your local community health service’s sexual and reproductive health clinic or women’s health clinic
• 1800 My Options – Victoria’s sexual and reproductive health information and phone line service Tel. 1800 My Options (1800 696 784)
• Sexual Health Victoria (SHV) – book an appointment online or call Melbourne CBD Clinic: (03) 9660 4700, Box Hill Clinic: (03) 9257 0100 or (free call): 1800 013 952 (Monday to Friday 9 am - 5 pm). These services are youth friendly.
• QLife (Australia’s first national counselling and referral service for LGBTQIA+ people) Tel. 1800 184 527
• 1800 RESPECT: National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service (24 hours, 7 days) Tel. 1800 737 732 – free telephone counselling helpline
• Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre (24 hours, 7 days) Tel. 1800 015 188 – Victorian service for women experiencing violence and abuse from a partner or ex-partner, family members or someone close to them
• Victorian Aboriginal Health Service Fitzroy: Tel. (03) 9419 3000 and Preston Tel. (03) 9403 3300 (Monday to Friday 10 am – 4 pm) and after-hours locum service Tel. 132 660 or Epping: Tel. (03) 8592 3920 (Monday to Thursday 9 am-5 pm, Friday 9 am-4 pm)
• Sexual Assault Crisis Line Tel.1800 806 292
• MSI Australia Tel. 1300 315 664
• Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing