Facts You Need to Know about TOP

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In Hong Kong, termination of pregnancy (TOP) is legal under certain conditions. TOP can only be legally performed by registered doctors at the Family Planning Association (less than 10 weeks), Queen Mary Hospital and private hospitals. The procedure cannot be performed after 24 weeks unless it is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman.

Self-abortion, such as taking any substance (medicine, herbal drinks, etc.) to terminate your pregnancy without a doctor’s supervision is illegal and one can be subject to fine or imprisonment if found guilty of the offence. Moreover, this might lead to multiple health risks and even life-threatening complications. According to World Health Organization, physical health risks associated with unsafe abortion include:

  • incomplete abortion (failure to remove or expel all pregnancy tissue from the uterus);

  • haemorrhage (heavy bleeding);

  • infection;

  • uterine perforation (caused when the uterus is pierced by a sharp object); and

  • damage to the genital tract and internal organs as a consequence of inserting dangerous objects into the vagina or anus.

Due to COVID-19, TOP service is currently suspended at Queen Mary Hospital (as of 23/2/2023) . Therefore, if you are not eligible to receive TOP at Family Planning Association for reasons such as being pregnant for more than 10 weeks, the only legal TOP option in Hong Kong will be a private hospital which normally costs more than HK$20,000.

Here are a few things to consider to prevent crisis related to unplanned pregnancy:

  1. Use effective birth control methods consistently if you do not plan to have children at the moment.

  2. If unprotected intercourse happens, taking Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECPs) within 72 or 120 hours or inserting Copper “T” Intra-uterine Device (IUCD) within 5 days after consulting your doctor can be one option.

  3. If you discover that you are pregnant and decide not to continue the pregnancy, contact Family Planning Association (+852 5173-6313) as soon as possible to access medical and counseling services.

  4. Explore all the legal options for unplanned pregnancy, namely parenting, adoption and TOP. PathFinders helps migrant domestic workers who got pregnant to make well-informed decisions and plan.

Learn more about PathFinders:

https://www.pathfinders.org.hk/en/

For General Inquiries:Email us at info@pathfinders.org.hk, or send us a message on our Facebook page (PathFindersHK / PathFinders for Migrant Workers).Client hotline for pregnant migrant workers, or migrant domestic workers with children: +852 5190 4886.