Your Abortion Rights
Abortion is legal in California. You should see a doctor soon so that you get information about all your options and can make a decision that’s right for you. You have the right to end your pregnancy until approximately six months after you become pregnant. After that, if your pregnancy puts your health or life at risk you may still be able to get an abortion.
Confidentiality
If you get an abortion, it will be confidential. No one else has the right to know or do anything about it — not your boyfriend, partner, husband or other family — unless you want to involve them. You do not need anyone’s permission, and the law protects your privacy. If it’s useful for you, try to find someone you trust, like a friend, relative or counselor for support.
Where to Get an Abortion
Many family planning clinics, hospitals and some doctor’s offices provide abortion services. Contact ACCESS (800-376-4636) or Planned Parenthood (800-230-PLAN or www.plannedparenthood.org) for a referral. See more resources »
- Even though abortions are legal, doctors and nurses do not have to offer them. For example, some hospitals and clinics that are owned by churches refuse to perform abortions.
- If someone at a clinic or doctor’s office tells you that you cannot get an abortion, make sure they’re telling you the truth. Get another opinion by calling ACCESS or a Planned Parenthood health center.
Warning: All Clinics Are Not Alike
Some clinics pretend to offer comprehensive family planning services but will not tell you about all of your options. They call themselves ‘Crisis Pregnancy Centers’ or ‘Pregnancy Resource Centers’ but sometimes they use other names. Some of them give misleading information to try to keep you from having an abortion. See our resources for referrals to clinics that will tell you the whole truth and give you all of your options.
