Irland

Access to abortion is a fundamental human right and a basic healthcare. If you live in a country where access to abortion is restricted, you can get abortion pills through Women on Web.

Abortion is permitted on request up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. There is no gestational limit when there is an immediate risk to the life, or of serious harm to the health, including physical and mental health, of the pregnant woman. Abortion is also allowed for conditions affecting the foetus that, is likely to lead to the death of the foetus either before, or within 28 days of, birth.

Minors under the age of 16 are required to obtain parental or their legal guardians consent for an abortion. There is a mandatory waiting period of 3 day in place before the abortion can be done. It is counted from the date of certification by a medical practitioner that the pregnancy has not exceeded 12 weeks. 

An abortion is free for persons who normally live in the Republic of Ireland. The cost of contraception, pain relief or antibiotics will not be covered unless the person has a medical card. Patients with a medical card will be subject to prescription charges.

Abortion providers and any persons assisting may be criminalized for an abortion outside of the legal conditions specified in the law. Medical practitioners and providers have the right to refuse abortion services based on personal beliefs. However, medical practitioners and providers are obligated to refer individuals to another provider if they refuse service.

Mifepristone is officially registered by the country’s pharmaceutical authority.

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Mifepristone is distributed in pharmacies.

Misoprostol is officially registered by the country’s pharmaceutical authority.

It is registered for gynecological indications (such as birth, miscarriage treatment or abortion care etc.)

There is currently no data available on whether or not a prescription is needed to get Misoprostol.

Misoprostol is distributed in pharmacies and healthcare facilities.

These are brand names under which Mifepristone, Misoprostol or Combi Packs (that contain both abortion pills Mifepristone and Misoprostol) are officially distributed and/or commonly found in the country.

Mifepristone:
Mifegyne 200mg

Misoprostol:
Cytotec 200mcg
MisoOne 400mcg
Arthrotec 50 or 75*, 200 mcg, *contains Diclofenac!

Combipack:
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Safety notice: There are pills that contain a combination of Misoprostol and the painkiller Diclofenac. While manufactured for a different purpose they can still be used for abortion. Please find more info in our FAQ to avoid overdosing the Diclofenac.

The actual costs of abortion pills are often difficult to determine, vary and change over time. Fill out our questionnaire to add and share your experience.

1. "Mifepristone and Misoprostol: up to 10 weeks is easy - call bpas for clinic appointment, post 10 weeks is currently much harder and there is a 2 week waiting list on average for a gp appointment. In 2022 anyone wishing to access abortion services in Northern Ireland should fill in this form requesting a consultation or call the British Pregnancy Advisory Service on 03457 30 40 30. There is currently a high volume of calls and a backlog, please be patient. Some clients are taking a few days to get through. There is currently a 5 day wait for call backs from the 1st phone call or online form in NI and 2 weeks in GB, when you get the consultation call, your appointment should be in a couple of days, as of Oct 2022 all Trusts are offering Early Medical Abortion services." - Alliance for Choice, November 2022
2. “Mifepristone and Misoprostol are easy to access though the providing doctors listed with the MyOptions freephone service 1800 828 010. The phone service will direct you to a choice of three providers local to you.
   There is no cost for either medication. Anyone normally resident in Ireland is entitled to the service free at the point of care.
   Be aware that some rogue or fake clinics exist that try to stop or delay individuals accessing abortions. For accurate abortion information use MyOptions which is a Health Service Executive (HSE) government funded service.” - Doctors for Choice Ireland, November 2022