Abortion is Normal. Abortion is Safe.

We Support You.

Need to talk to someone first?

If you're not ready to book, that's okay. Our nurse counsellor will discuss your options with you, confidentially, with no pressure.

Please give our office a call and we can arrange a phone call for you to discuss your options.

Medication Abortion

Medication abortion uses two medications taken on different days to end an early pregnancy at home. The process resembles a miscarriage — heavy bleeding and cramping for several hours, with lighter bleeding for 1–4 weeks afterward.

  • Eligibility: Up to 10 weeks of pregnancy

  • Cost: Free with a valid BC MSP card. (Without BC coverage, tell our staff when you call — they'll review costs.)

  • Note: Plan to be home for the day you take the second medication, and avoid travel for about a month.

Surgical (Procedural) Abortion

Surgical abortion is a short procedure done at Victoria General Hospital under sedation. The procedure takes 5–10 minutes; total time at the hospital is 3–5 hours. You'll come to our clinic first for an assessment.

  • Hospital procedure: 3–5 hours total at VGH (on a separate day from your assessment.)

  • Eligibility: Up to 24 weeks and 6 days

  • Coverage: Free with a valid BC MSP card.

  • Note: You will not be able to drive after the procedure — arrange for someone to drive you home.

More information about Medication and Surgical Abortions

Here are some additional options you can choose to include in your care:

Other Sexual and Reproductive Health Services:

  • As part of your appointment, we routinely test for chlamydia and gonorrhea.

    If you'd like testing for other infections — such as HIV, syphilis, hepatitis, or herpes — please discuss this with the physician during your appointment.

  • If you'd like to discuss birth control at your appointment, we're happy to talk through your options and help you start a method that fits your circumstances.

    If you'd like an IUD, we can insert it during your procedural abortion.

    For more information about contraception at VICC, please visit our contraception section.

Other support available:

  • We support patients in incorporating cultural, spiritual, or ceremonial practices into their care.

    For Indigenous patients, we can arrange:

    • Smudging at the clinic before your appointment. Please let us know at the time of booking so we can prepare the space — we may reach out to adjust your appointment time.

    • Connection with an Indigenous liaison for additional support during your care.

    For all patients:

    • Taking the pregnancy tissue home — for patients who choose this for cultural, spiritual, or personal reasons. This option is available for pregnancies under 20 weeks.

    • Other spiritual, cultural, or wellness practices in our space — please let us know in advance and we'll do our best to accommodate.

    For procedural abortions, some of these arrangements take place at Victoria General Hospital. We'll review the details with you at your assessment.

  • Description text goes hereWe know how much it can mean to have someone with you. One person can accompany you to your appointments at our clinic — that can be any person you choose, whether a partner, friend, family member, or support worker.

    For procedural abortions at Victoria General Hospital, visitor policies are more limited. Ask your physician at your assessment for current details.

  • Whatever you're feeling — relief, sadness, ambivalence, grief, or a mix — it's all valid. There's no one right way to feel about an abortion, and your emotions may shift over time.

    If you'd like to talk to someone outside our clinic, free confidential support is available across Canada:

    Other resources can be found on our Abortion and Pregnancy Loss Resources page.

About the Pregnancy Tissue (Products of Conception)

After an abortion or pregnancy loss, the pregnancy tissue is medically referred to as the "products of conception." We recognize that this term won't fit for everyone, and we're happy to use whatever language feels right to you — please let your provider know.

What happens to this tissue is up to you. Most patients have the clinic or hospital take care of it, but other options are available, and there's no right or wrong choice.

You can:

  • Have the hospital or clinic dispose of the tissue (most common; ashes are not available)

  • Arrange for a funeral home to handle cremation or burial (usually available for pregnancies of 14 weeks or more)

  • Take the tissue home yourself, for pregnancies under 20 weeks

For some patients, taking the tissue home carries deep cultural, spiritual, or personal meaning. Indigenous patients in particular have requested this option, and we honour it as a form of ceremony that connects to land, ancestors, and tradition. The option is open to any patient who chooses it — and there's no expectation either way.

For pregnancies of 20 weeks or more, BC law requires formal cremation or burial through a funeral home. If you wish to transport the remains yourself, additional permits are required, and your provider can walk you through the process.

Learn more about Products of Conception