• People having a medical abortion take two different types of medication – mifepristone and misoprostol. There have been claims that medical abortion can be safely reversed by taking a dose of progesterone after a person has taken the first medical abortion medication, mifepristone. These claims are not based on any reputable scientific evidence. RANZCOG, the leading body for obstetrics and gynaecology and women’s health in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, do not support the use of progesterone to reverse an abortion.
  • Changes were made to the abortion law in 2020 to better align the legislation with that of other health services.
  • These pages have information about what these changes mean for health practitioners, including training and support to become an abortion provider.
  • Work is still underway to support more accessible and equitable abortion services.
  • Guidance for practitioners currently providing abortion services can be found in the New Zealand Aotearoa Abortion Clinical Guideline via the Manatū Hauora website.
  • For those providing abortion counselling, visit the Standard for Abortion Counselling in Aotearoa New Zealand, published by Manatū Hauora, for further information on what abortion counselling means.

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