In NSW abortion is a crime.

A pregnancy can only be terminated if a doctor believes it is necessary to prevent a serious risk to the life or health of a woman.

A bill to decriminalise abortion, enact safe access zones around clinics and force doctors who conscientiously object to abortion to refer women to a doctor who doesn't, was this month introduced by Greens MP Mehreen Faruqi.

A separate private member's bill from Labor MP Penny Sharpe seeks only to create safe access zones around abortion clinics.

The majority of the state's residents (87%) believe women should be able to have an abortion and 81% support the enactment of protest exclusion zones across the state, polling released by Faruqi found.

Most of them (76%) were unaware that abortion was still in the NSW Crimes Act (1900).



A first trimester surgical abortion can cost between $300 and $700.



A medical abortion - RU486 - will cost $250 for Medicare card holders and $600 without.