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Advice and Counselling Service

Pregnancy

It is important to obtain advice as soon as you know you are pregnant. Delay can cause problems later on, whether you are considering an abortion or a continuation of the pregnancy. If you believe you are pregnant, you should have your pregnancy confirmed by a doctor as soon as possible. 

You can obtain confidential advice from the Student Health Centre or your GP. If you prefer to go outside the College for advice, there are a number of organisations that you can contact (see below). 

If you make the decision to terminate your pregnancy, there is no need for staff at the university to know about this but if you need to miss lectures or tutorials you should let your Academic Adviser know that you will be away for 'medical reasons'. A note from a doctor should be provided to justify your absence but this does not have to specify the exact reason. You may also want to seek support to help you cope with this, from the Counselling Service. 

If you decide to continue the pregnancy then it is important you speak to your department about it as soon as possible so you can make plans for your studies and to decide whether you’ll need to interrupt. 

Please arrange to speak to a Welfare Adviser for advice on interrupting your studies and any financial implications. 

Information on childcare is available at: Paying for childcare

Specialist organisations 

Brook provide free confidential advice and information on pregnancy, abortions and having a baby via their website, their centres and their helpline (0808 802 1234) 

Marie Stopes is the UK's leading provider of sexual and reproductive healthcare services. Services include unplanned pregnancy counselling, abortion information and advice and a 24-hour helpline (0845 300 80 90) 

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service provides contraception, pregnancy testing and abortions via their website, helpline and local centres. 

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