Botswana

Abortion Laws and Policies

Overview

Abortion is permitted up to 16 weeks in cases of rape, incest, fetal impairment, defilement or if the pregnancy endangers the woman or person's life, their mental or physical health.

Despite abortion being permitted, abortion pills are not registered and an abortion with pills might not be available.

Claim your rights

Access to abortion is a fundamental human right and a basic healthcare need. If you live in a country with restrictions to abortion access, you can visit Women on Web to request abortion pills or learn more about the local support and resources available in your country.

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.

Mifepristone

Mifepristone is not officially registered by the country’s pharmaceutical authority.

Misoprostol

Misoprostol is registered

There is no data available on whether Misoprostol is registered for gynecological indications (such as birth, miscarriage treatment or abortion care etc. ), or if it is registered for other purposes only (such as arthritis or gastric ulcers etc. )..

There is currently no data available on whether or not a prescription is needed to get Misoprostol.

There is no data on regulations around the distribution of Misoprostol available.

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.

Brand names

Misoprostol:
Cytotec, 200 mcg (Pfizer Laboratories S.A.)

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. Specific instructions need to be followed to avoid overdosing the Diclofenac.

This is the estimated cost of abortion pills in your country. Please reach out if your experience has been different from the information available here.

Cost of Abortion Pills