Your choice

We understand that unplanned pregnancies happen and that every woman has the right to choose for herself how to deal with the situation. Many factors may influence your decision to continue or terminate a pregnancy. Your values, beliefs, previous life experiences, society's attitudes, spirituality and cultural perspectives will all impact on your choice to:

• continue the pregnancy and become a parent; or
• continue the pregnancy and place the baby up for adoption or fostering; or
• end the pregnancy with a termination, if you are legally able to do so.

Supporting you

We know it can be hard to make a decision about what to do and we are here to provide support. Counselling is available should you wish to explore feelings and issues related to an unplanned pregnancy and the options available. Post-termination counselling is also available. 

If you think counselling would be helpful, phone (09) 631 0740 and choose option 3.

Our counselling services are free if you are eligible for publicly funded healthcare.

For more information on what to expect during your visit, please see our frequently asked questions.

Timing for abortion services

First trimester services (before 13 weeks and 2 days)

• The Epsom Day Unit (EDU) is for first trimester pregnancy termination.
• The termination must occur before 13 weeks and 2 days' gestation.
• If you think that termination is the right option for you, you can self-refer, or visit your GP for them to refer you.

Epsom Day Unit (EDU) is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of nurses, doctors, social workers and administrative staff. Your information is kept confidential and not released without your consent. 

Waiting time for your first appointment varies depending on how busy EDU is and the gestation of the pregnancy. Urgent appointments are available for patients referred in the late part of their first trimester. Appointment two is usually scheduled for between one and seven days after the first.

Second trimester services (13 or more weeks pregnant)

If you are 13 or more weeks pregnant, you will be referred to your local District Health Board (DHB) for assessment.

The Epsom Day Unit accepts  self referrals and referrals from a general practitioner, midwife or nurse practitioner for a pregnancy of  13 or more weeks if the woman lives within the Auckland DHB area. If you are unsure about what to do please phone or email.

Phone: 09 631 0740

Email: with your name, phone number, date of birth and any safety issues we should be aware of at 

The law

On 24 March 2020 changes were made to the law to decriminalise abortion, better align the regulation of abortion services with other health services and modernise the legal framework for abortion services in New Zealand.

The abortion legislation is available on the New Zealand Legislation website.