- Abortion legal status
- Legal
- Emergency number
- 911
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: gov.bm, bermuda-attractions.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- The Bermuda Dollar (BMD) is pegged 1:1 to the US Dollar, and USD cash is widely accepted island-wide, which simplifies budgeting for health costs.
- Centre Against Abuse runs a free, confidential 24-hour hotline (441-297-8278) for both domestic abuse and sexual assault support — save this number if you're staying in Bermuda.
- The morning-after pill has been available over-the-counter in Bermuda since a 2017 reclassification, meaning you generally do not need a prescription to obtain it at a pharmacy.
- For IUDs or contraceptive implants, plan for a clinical appointment (not just a pharmacy visit) — the Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic at Hamilton Health Centre (444-1711) handles insertions and family planning consultations.
- In an active emergency, call 911; Bermuda Police Service will coordinate a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and hospital-based evidence collection.
- The Bermudian Dollar (BMD) is pegged 1:1 with the US Dollar and both currencies circulate interchangeably on the island, so local and USD prices are effectively the same number.
- Abortion access in Bermuda is legal but restrictive: it is not available simply 'on request' — a woman must qualify under specific grounds (incest, sexual assault, risk to life/health, or fetal non-viability) and get sign-off from a hospital Therapeutic Abortion Committee, which can take time and can deny applications.
- Without insurance, a termination can cost roughly $2,000–$3,000 BMD, even through the Government's own Maternal Health Clinic — budget for this and check whether any travel insurance or local coverage applies.
- There is active political and advocacy pressure (as of 2024–2025) to remove the committee-approval requirement and decriminalize abortion in Bermuda, so it's worth checking current status if this is time-sensitive for you.
- For routine gynaecological/OBGYN care, Contemporary OB-GYN in nearby Paget Parish and the Hamilton Health Centre's Sexual and Reproductive Health clinic are the most accessible options from central Hamilton.
Street, Night and Taxi Safety
Street Harassment (Catcalling)
Bermuda's government has formally acknowledged catcalling as a real problem, with a parliamentary address noting it is difficult to find a woman in Bermuda who has not experienced street harassment at some point, even though it is rarely reported to police. Legislation was introduced criminalizing acts such as catcalling, offensive gestures, walking too closely behind someone at night, and blocking a pedestrian's path. In practice, several women travelers describe it as infrequent and usually limited to a shout from across the street rather than anything more aggressive.
Walking Alone at Night
Daytime walking in Hamilton is considered very safe, and night-time safety is also rated comparatively high, though lower than daytime. Locally, the 'back of town' area in Hamilton and some quiet, poorly lit outskirt streets are the specific spots travel sources advise avoiding after dark, especially alone, while the main thoroughfares of Hamilton remain comfortable in the evening. General advice from multiple sources is that no woman should walk alone late at night, even though Bermuda overall has a low violent-crime rate.
Numbeo-reported Local Safety Perception
Crowd-sourced perception data for Hamilton specifically rates daytime walking safety as very high and night-time walking safety as high, with concerns about being physically attacked or targeted based on gender rated very low. Worry about petty property crime such as theft and vandalism is rated low to moderate, which lines up with other sources describing petty theft and opportunistic crime as the main real risk rather than violent crime.
Practical Precautions Travelers Use
Common-sense advice repeated across sources covering Bermuda includes sticking to well-lit, populated main streets at night rather than alleys or shortcuts, keeping drinks in sight in bars and clubs, securing valuables and not displaying expensive jewelry, and being cautious about accepting rides or invitations from strangers. Most sources frame Hamilton and St. George's as comfortable to explore solo by day, with the standard caution being to shift to taxis or buses rather than walking once it gets dark.
Abortion Law And OB-GYN
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Access Routes
- The main access route is through the Bermuda Hospitals Board / King Edward VII Memorial Hospital system: a woman must petition the Therapeutic Abortion Committee, which reviews and must approve the case before a termination can be performed at the public hospital. A second entry point is the Government's Sexual and Reproductive Health clinic at Hamilton Health Centre, 67 Victoria Street, Hamilton, which provides pregnancy tests, family planning consultations and abortion advice/referrals, though the decision authority still sits with the hospital's committee. Advocates have publicly described the approval process as slow, discretionary and capable of rejecting applications even when a woman has decided termination is right for her.
- Reform Status
- As of 2024–2025 there has been active public and political pressure to reform the system — a government senator and the Women's Resource Centre have called the committee-approval requirement 'unconstitutional and outdated,' and the governing party has floated removing abortion from the criminal code and eliminating the committee approval step. As of the most recent reporting found, this remained a proposal under discussion rather than enacted law, so the grounds-based, committee-approval system described above was still in effect.
- Abortion Time Limits
- Bermuda's law is grounds-based rather than built around a specific pregnancy cutoff in weeks — no statutory week limit is published in the Criminal Code provisions covering therapeutic abortion. In practice, access depends entirely on Therapeutic Abortion Committee approval of one of the listed grounds (incest, sexual assault, risk to life/health, fetal non-viability), not on how many weeks pregnant the applicant is.
- Legal Status Explanation
- Abortion is legal in Bermuda but only on narrow, grounds-based criteria rather than on request. Under the Criminal Code Act 1907, a termination can proceed only where a medical practitioner determines the pregnancy resulted from incest or from a sexual assault covered under sections 323–326 of the criminal code, or where continuing the pregnancy would endanger the woman's life or health, or in cases of serious fetal abnormality/non-viability. Every request must be reviewed and approved by a Therapeutic Abortion Committee, a body made up of obstetricians, a psychiatrist and a general practitioner operating under Bermuda Hospitals Board bylaws, before a hospital termination can go ahead.
Cost Data
- Termination Uninsured
- BMD 2,500
Reported range is roughly $2,000–$3,000 BMD without insurance, even at the Government's Maternal Health Clinic; figure shown is the approximate midpoint.
OB-GYN Options Hamilton
Contemporary OB-GYN Ltd
- Type
- Private OB-GYN practice
- Address
- The Berries, 35 Berry Hill Road, Paget Parish (adjacent to Hamilton)
- Services
- Obstetrics and gynaecology consultations, prenatal through postpartum care.
- Providers
- Dr. Alton Trott (board certified), Dr. Yusef Morant-Wade (board certified)
Bermuda Hospitals Board / King Edward VII Memorial Hospital
- Type
- Public hospital system
- Address
- Point Finger Road, Paget Parish (main hospital campus, close to Hamilton)
- Services
- Obstetric and gynaecological care, hospital-based deliveries, and the body (Therapeutic Abortion Committee) that authorises legal terminations. Maintains a 'Find a Physician' directory including options for non-resident/visiting patients.
Hamilton Health Centre — Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic
- Type
- Government clinic
- Address
- 67 Victoria Street, Hamilton HM12
- Contact
- 444-1711 or 332-8895
- Services
- Pregnancy tests and advice, antenatal care, family planning consultation and provision, emergency contraception, abortion advice, STI screening including HIV, cervical cancer screening/HPV vaccination, and breast exams.
Assault Resources
- Emergency Number
- 911
- Legal Context
- In Bermuda, under the Criminal Code Act, sexual assault is when a person has sexual intercourse with another person without that person's consent, and the offence is no longer called rape within the law books. The law recognizes serious and aggravated forms of sexual assault, and sexual assault has no statute of limitations for making a criminal complaint. The age of consent in Bermuda is 16.
- Reporting Process Note
- A sexual assault kit collected at the hospital is handled by Bermuda Police Service officers, and support/counselling is coordinated through Centre Against Abuse for adult survivors (18+) or Child and Family Services for minors.
Additional Resources
Bermuda Police Service
- Contact
- 911 (emergency) or 211 / 295-0011 (non-emergency)
- Notes
- Officers are called to the hospital to collect, transport and house the sexual assault kit in a safe area for prosecution of a crime.
Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)
- Contact
- 911
- Notes
- Coordinated hospital-based response involving police and medical staff for sexual assault cases.
Women's Resource Centre
- Contact
- 295-3882
- Notes
- General women's support and resource service in Bermuda.
Department of Child and Family Services
- Contact
- 278-9111 (business hours) / 295-0011 (after hours, via Police)
- Notes
- Handles cases involving survivors under 18 and their families.
Primary Support Service
- Name
- Centre Against Abuse (CAA)
- Hotline
- 441-297-8278
- Services
- Centre Against Abuse (CAA) helpline provides crisis support for adult victims of intimate partner abuse or sexual assault in Bermuda, and CAA's helpline is private, confidential and non-judgmental. Its full range of services includes counselling, anger management, a safe house, court advocacy and community programmes. CAA is the only non-governmental organization that provides services for adult domestic abuse and sexual assault survivors in Bermuda.
- Hotline Hours
- 24 hours
Contraception Access
- Regulatory Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Cost Notes
- Specific current retail pricing for the emergency contraceptive pill, oral contraceptive pill, IUDs or implants in Bermuda was not confirmed via official sources; costs will vary by pharmacy, insurance status and whether a clinic consultation fee applies. Bermuda uses the Bermuda Dollar (BMD), which is pegged 1:1 with the US Dollar.
Primary Clinic
- Phone
- 444-1711 or 332-8895
- Name
- Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic, Hamilton Health Centre
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, appointment-based (walk-ins accommodated based on capacity)
- Address
- 67 Victoria Street, Hamilton HM12
- Services
- The clinic provides integrated sexual health services including pregnancy tests and advice, family planning consultations and provision, and emergency contraception, and confidentiality is maintained except in cases of risk of harm.
Methods Available
- IUD
- Available via insertion appointment through the Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic or a private OB-GYN; requires a clinical appointment rather than an over-the-counter purchase.
- Implant
- Available via insertion appointment through the Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic or a private OB-GYN; requires a clinical appointment rather than an over-the-counter purchase.
- Emergency Contraception
- As of the 2017 reclassification, the morning-after pill was made available over-the-counter in Bermuda; the Minister of Health stated at the time this reclassification aligns with other jurisdictions like the US, Canada and the UK, whereas it had previously been prescription-only. It can also be obtained through the Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic at Hamilton Health Centre.
- Oral Contraceptive Pill
- Available by prescription through the Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic, private GPs/OB-GYNs, or Bermuda Hospitals Board-affiliated providers; filled at Hamilton pharmacies.
Pharmacies In Hamilton Center
- Bermuda Pharmacy (flagship store, central Hamilton)
- City Pharmacy, Cumberland House, 1 Victoria Street, Hamilton
- Par-la-Ville Pharmacy, 2 Church Street, Hamilton
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this women's health & safety research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Hamilton
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.