Austria
Updated: 2022-12-06 Legal | Abortion Pills | Local Organizations | Community Comments | Scam List
Abortion Laws and Policies
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Access to abortion is a fundamental human right and a basic healthcare. If you live in a country where access to abortion is restricted, you can get abortion pills through Women on Web.
Local context
Abortion on request is authorized. Even though there is no explicit abortion law regulating abortions up to 12 weeks, it is clear that these cannot be punished by penal law.
Minors under the age of 14 are required to obtain parental or their legal representatives consent for an abortion. Abortion is not generally covered by public insurance, but only in cases of abortions with medical indications or dependent on the city/region. Penal law criminalizes women and pregnant people as well as doctors and abortion providers for doing an abortion outside of the legal conditions specified in the law.
Medical practitioners and providers have the right to refuse abortion services based on personal beliefs. So called conscientious objection cannot be practiced in cases where the life of the woman or pregnant person is at risk.
About Abortion Pills
An abortion with pills is a safe and effective way to end a pregnancy at home. There are two ways to have an abortion with pills:
- Have an abortion with a pill called Mifepristone and another pill called Misoprostol;
- Have an abortion with the pill Misoprostol only.
You already have abortion pills? Find instructions, information around dosage, safety precautions and tips here or contact the Women on Web Help Desk Team to guide you through the process at info@womenonweb.org
Mifepristone
Mifepristone is officially registered by the country’s pharmaceutical authority.
A doctor's prescription may be required to get Mifepristone.
Mifepristone is distributed in healthcare facilities or hospitals.
Misoprostol
Misoprostol is officially registered by the country’s pharmaceutical authority.
It is registered for gynecological indications (such as birth, miscarriage treatment or abortion care etc.)
A doctor's prescription may be required to get Misoprostol.
Misoprostol is distributed in pharmacies.
Brand names
These are brand names under which Mifepristone, Misoprostol or Combi Packs (that contain both abortion pills Mifepristone and Misoprostol) are officially distributed and/or commonly found in the country.
Mifepristone:
Mifegyne, 200mg
Misoprostol:
Topogyne, 400 mcg
Cyprostol, 200 mcg
Arthrotec (forte)*, 200 mcg *contains Diclofenac!
Safety notice: There are pills that contain a combination of Misoprostol and the painkiller Diclofenac. While manufactured for a different purpose they can still be used for abortion. Please find more info in our FAQ to avoid overdosing the Diclofenac.
Cost of Abortion Pills
These are comments about the estimated cost of abortion pills in your country.
- "3x200 mg Mifegyne (incl. 10% VAT):
- € 94.57/pack for an order of 5 packs of more; € 104.50/pack for an order of less than 5 packs, for clinics and institutes.
- € 104.50/pack for doctors in private practice (+ shipping if only 1 pack)
- € 155.00/pack according to the official list of goods of the Austrian Pharmacy Publishers
- Cyprostol (1x200 µg):
- around € 0.50/piece; dispensed by doctors - off-label use
- Topogyne (1x400 µg; incl. 10% VAT):
- € 12.00 for an order of 5 packs of more; € 13.23 for an order of less than 5 packs, in clinics or institutes.
- € 13,23 for doctors in private practice (+ shipping)
- € 22,65 according to the official list of goods of the Austrian Pharmacy Publishers.
- Price for medical Abortion with Mifepristone + Misoprostol for patients:
- In public hospitals in Vienna: € 330,09. In profit-organisations and private practices starting at € 490, price increasing. The lowest price for medical abortion with Mifepristone + Misoprostol we know off is around 100-200 € (social tariff from gynecologists with a private practice in very, very special cases)."
- (Anonymous, November 2022)
The actual costs of abortion pills are often difficult to determine, vary and change over time. Fill out our questionnaire to add and share your experience.
Organizations and Resources
- Women on Web
Abortion pill access by mail
www.womenonweb.org
info@womenonweb.org - Österreichische Gesellschaft für Familienplanung (ÖGF)
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
Non-profit association, campaigns for sexual and reproductive health and rights for all people living in Austria and runs nine counselling centres in Vienna, one of them is specialised in abortion-counselling. Provides information and addresses on abortion throughout Austria.
+43 1 478 52 42
buero@oegf.at - CHANGES for women
Funding support to access abortion. Non-profit association that offers financial support for abortions mainly in Vienna. On-site counseling is not possible. Contact by e-mail.
info@changes-for-women.org
hilfe@changes-for-women.org - Ciocia Wienia
Safe abortion, travel and funding support to access abortion. Provides information on reproductive rights and the forms of abortion in Austria and helps organise travel, accommodation, the abortion procedure and translation. Also helps with access to anonymous birth. Whenever possible, they offer financial support. They speak English, German, Polish and Russian.
ciocia-wienia@riseup.net - Österreichische Gesellschaft für Familienplanung
Provides information and addresses on abortion throughout Austria. - Abortion in Austria
Abortion in Austria is a website that provides information and addresses on abortion in 9 languages. - Gesundheit.gv.at
Austria's public health portal and provides information on abortion, links to OGF website (adresses for abortion), family counselling centres and women's health centres. - CHANGES for women
Information on abortion and financial support.
Scams
Watch out for fake abortion clinics and sellers online. See or contribute to our list of scams & stay safe!
Join this project
This collection of data is an ongoing and collaborative project that relies on your contributions and corrections to thrive. Did you have an abortion? Did you get scammed looking for abortion pills? Do you know a friendly feminist organization which can help? Are you an abortion activist, doctor or part of an organization? Please share and fill out our questionnaire or contact us here.
Other Databases and Sources
These are the sources and databases used to gather the information listed on this country profile.
- 08.08.2022/Medical Abortion Commodities Database: https://medab.org/search?field_brand_name_target_id=All&field_country_of_sale_target_id=236
- 09.08.2022/WHO, Global Abortion Policies Database: https://abortion-policies.srhr.org/country/austria/
- 20.08.2022/National Medicine Authority: https://aspregister.basg.gv.at/aspregister/faces/aspregister.jspx
- 20.08.2022/European Abortion Policies Atlas: https://europe.ippf.org/resource/european-abortion-policies-atlas
- 05.12.2022/REDAAS conscientious objection map: https://www.redaas.org.ar/conscientious-objection-map
- 05.12.2022/Center for Reproductive Rights. The World’s Abortion Laws: https://reproductiverights.org/maps/worlds-abortion-laws/
If you think the information displayed on this page is not correct or is outdated, please send us your updates and corrections!
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We appreciate your collaboration.
Community Comments
Overview
The cost makes access more difficult. The reality is that only a few gynecologists offer abortions with Mifepristone (or communicate that they offer it). A few gynecologists in private practice also offer mifepristone for women in difficult financial situations for a social fee (those are very rare exceptions). There is also a strong east-west divide in Austria, with access to mifepristone being worse in the west of Austria than in the east (in Vorarlberg, Tyrol and Burgenland there is one or no office that officially dispenses mifepristone). There is also a disparity between urban and rural areas.
Tips: We have had the experience that individuals have been able to have abortions with Mifepristone in clinics/private practices that do not officially provide this medical service. If they ask directly and don't let themselves be shaken off, sometimes they receive Mifepristone. If there are financial difficulties, very few cities or federal states offer support (ask!!). Otherwise, women and families can ask for financial support from non-profit organisations such as Changes for Women. " - Anonymous, November 2022