How weeks of pregnancy are counted
There are two ways to count the length of a pregnancy, and laws use both. Mixing them up is the most common reason people misjudge how much time they have.
From the first day of the last period
Doctors and the World Health Organization usually count weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period. This is often called gestational age, or weeks of amenorrhea in some countries. It includes roughly two weeks before conception, when the egg had not yet been fertilized.
From conception
Some laws count from conception, or from fertilization. A limit counted this way is about two weeks longer when expressed from the last period. For example, 12 weeks after conception is about 14 weeks since the first day of the last period.
- If periods are irregular or the date is uncertain, an ultrasound gives the most reliable estimate
- Clinics confirm the number of weeks before care, so the date you calculate yourself is a starting point
- Our checker asks for weeks since the first day of your last period and converts them for each law
Typical limits for abortion on request
In much of Europe abortion is available on request up to a stated week, and later only on specific grounds such as a risk to health or a severe fetal condition. The examples below are well established in law. Laws change, so the country card always has the final word, with its source and verification date.
| Country | Limit on request | How it is counted and main conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 10 weeks | On request up to 10 weeks, with a waiting period before care |
| Germany | 12 weeks after conception | Not punishable after mandatory counseling and a waiting period of three days, about 14 weeks since the last period |
| Italy | 90 days | Under Law 194 of 1978, with a certificate and a waiting period |
| France | 14 weeks | 14 weeks of pregnancy, which French practice expresses as 16 weeks since the last period |
| Spain | 14 weeks | On request up to 14 weeks, later on specific grounds |
| Sweden | 18 weeks | On request up to 18 weeks, later with approval by the national health authority |
| Netherlands | Up to viability | In practice care is provided up to around 24 weeks |
| Great Britain | 24 weeks | Under the Abortion Act 1967, with the agreement of two doctors |
Northern Ireland and other places close to these countries have their own laws, and each has its own card. For the United States, rules differ by state, so open the abortion laws by state map.
After the limit for abortion on request
Passing the limit for abortion on request does not always mean that legal care is impossible. Many laws allow abortion later on specific grounds, for example when the pregnancy endangers the life or health of the pregnant person, after rape, or when there is a severe fetal condition. Some countries with a later limit also accept patients from abroad.
- Grounds after the limit differ by country and are listed on each law card
- Some grounds require approval by one or more doctors or a committee
- Fewer clinics provide care later in pregnancy, so distance and wait times grow
- Our travel for abortion guide explains which countries accept patients from abroad and until which week
Other rules that affect timing
The week limit is not the only rule that decides how much time you have. Several requirements can add days between the first contact and the abortion itself, and they count against the limit.
- Waiting periods between the first consultation and the abortion
- Mandatory counseling, sometimes from a separate service
- Consent of a parent or guardian, or a court, for minors in some places
- Telehealth limits that are lower than the general limit, see our telehealth abortion guide
- Separate limits for medication abortion at home, see our medication abortion guide
Wait times at clinics matter too. The directory shows the typical wait time where the clinic publishes it.
Which method is used at which stage
The stage of pregnancy also shapes the method. The WHO Abortion care guideline (2022) describes medication abortion with partly home based care up to 12 weeks, vacuum aspiration before 14 weeks and, from 14 weeks, dilation and evacuation or medication abortion in a facility. Read the procedural abortion guide for the steps of each technique. Medical decisions are made together with a doctor.