Let’s not get into a moral or ethical debate about abortions. Let’s just stick to the facts here. Fact: Abortions are legal in China.
For whatever reason, if you ever find yourself needing to terminate a pregnancy, here’s how and where to do it.
First and foremost, it’s important to know that there are two types of abortions available in China: medical (药流 yàoliú) and surgical (人工流产手术 réngōng liúchǎn shǒushù, abbreviated as 人流 rénliú), each procedure is used depending on the stage of the pregnancy.
Likewise, the number of visits will also be contingent on how far along the pregnancy is, but generally speaking, a woman can expect to make four visits for the procedure. The first visit will serve as a consultation, when the doctor will find out more information such as the date of the last period, how the woman learned of her pregnancy, if she’s given birth before, if she’s had any checkups prior to the visit, etc. Private hospitals tend to require fewer visits. Conversely, at a public hospital, test results are usually completed by visit two and the patient will be put on a surgery waiting list, which generally takes one to two weeks. As such, the third visit is the surgery itself, and the final visit is a post-operation follow-up.
To help you understand the differences between medical and surgical abortions, and how they fit into the Chinese medical system, here are some tips and general information:
Medical abortion: Chinese doctors tend to recommend medical abortions, which means that you will take a termination pill with a doctor’s supervision. The pill is generally advisable for women in the early stages of pregnancy. Misoprostol is the standard drug for those at less than eight weeks, which will generally be administrated in two rounds.
- Pros: Medical abortion is relatively inexpensive, with prices as low as RMB 500.
- Cons: Medical abortions are less effective than surgical abortions. You should also expect a longer recovery period and some side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and bleeding. As there is a risk of an incomplete abortion, you will need to see a doctor for follow-up monitoring.
Surgical abortion: Surgical abortions performed under general anesthesia are more common in Western countries but can also be done here in China. The procedure takes about ten minutes, with additional time needed for observation.
- Pros: You should feel very little pain and experience minimal side effects.
- Cons: Surgical abortions are more expensive and invasive. Repeated surgical abortions can also cause a build-up of scar tissue that can result in infertility.
Following either type of abortion, your doctor will generally prescribe an antibiotic and require a follow-up visit. Incidentally, a woman is legally entitled to at least 15 days of maternity leave after the procedure. If the pregnancy was terminated after four months, she’s entitled to 42 days.
Despite the fact that there are still plenty of countries that require a husband’s approval before an abortion can be performed, here in China, a woman does not need consent to terminate a pregnancy nor does she need to be accompanied by anyone during her visits. For safety reasons, she will be asked to provide an emergency contact number, but that number certainly doesn’t have to belong to a spouse or male family member.
Where can I get an abortion in Beijing?
Getting an early-term abortion in Beijing is quite simple, albeit a bit pricier, when visiting an international hospital such as Beijing United Family and Raffles. You can make an appointment with any gynecologist without much notice or other requirements.
If you speak Chinese or can bring a Chinese-speaking friend with you, the following are also good options:
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital (北京协和医院 běijīng xiéhé yīyuàn)
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital (北京妇产医院 běijīng fù chǎn yīyuàn)
- Mary’s Hospital for Women and Infants (北京玛丽妇婴医院 běijīng mǎlì fù yīng yīyuàn): This hospital has a family planning section that provides abortions.
- Beijing Chaoyang Hospital (北京朝阳医院 běijīng cháo yáng yī yuàn)
It’s best to look for hospitals that include or specialize in “women’s and children’s services” (妇幼保健医院 fùyòu bǎojiàn yīyuàn). These types of hospitals will specialize in a range of gynecological and pediatric care.
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