The first private clinic to offer abortions to women in Northern Ireland is due to open next week.
The service, run by Marie Stopes, will operate in the centre of Belfast from 18 October.
It says it will provide terminations within Northern Ireland's current legal framework, where abortions are not illegal but are very strictly controlled.
However, an anti-abortion group has called for it to be shut down.
The law governing abortion in Northern Ireland is different to the rest of the UK.
Nine-week limitIn Northern Ireland abortions can be carried out only in cases where continuing the pregnancy would have a serious, permanent or long-term effect on the physical or mental health of the woman.
There is strict assessment regarding any impact on mental well-being and the woman must consult with her GP and a psychiatrist.
In all of these circumstances, the termination must be carried out before nine weeks gestation and it must be a "medical abortion", where two doses of pills are prescribed.
This is already available on the NHS in Northern Ireland.
The Marie Stopes clinic says it will carry out medical not surgical procedures and only within the permitted nine-week gestation period.
End Quote Darinka Aleksic Abortion RightsThe fight for Northern Irish women to have the same rights as women in England, Scotland and Wales has a long way to go. But this is a real step forward"
A 24-week limit for abortion applies in England, Wales and Scotland, but abortions are allowed only under certain conditions, including that continuing with the pregnancy would involve a greater risk to the physical or mental health of the woman, or her existing children, than having a termination.
Abortions after 24 weeks are allowed in Britain but only in extreme circumstances - if there is grave risk to the life of the woman; evidence of severe foetal abnormality; or risk of grave physical and mental injury to the woman.
The former Progressive Unionist Party leader, Dawn Purvis, who is the centre's programme director, said the Belfast clinic would be "providing early medical abortion within the law as it exists in Northern Ireland".
Ms Purvis said the clinic would also provide advice and treatment for sexually transmitted disease and reproductive health, but it was prepared for any possible controversy.
"Our clients' needs are of paramount importance to us and how they access our services in a safe and secure route," she said.
"We will be focusing on this and will obviously carry out a risk assessment of our needs and our security and we'll have to revise those as time goes on.
"But we would hope that any client who comes to us can do so and access those services freely, safely and can come to a centre that will be supportive and non-judgemental."
Ms Purvis said the regulatory body, the RQIA, had been informed of and consulted on plans for the centre.
But Bernie Smyth, of the anti-abortion group Precious Life, told the BBC members want the centre shut before its scheduled opening.
'Huge emotional cost'However, the clinic has been hailed as "groundbreaking" by Darinka Aleksic, of the Abortion Rights group, who said women in Northern Ireland were "treated like second-class citizens when it comes to abortion".
"Having to travel [to the rest of the UK] or further abroad to access safe, legal abortion exacts a huge financial and emotional cost," she said.
"Over 50,000 women have had to make this journey over the past 40 years and it is an injustice that must not be allowed to continue.
"The opening of this centre will not solve all these problems and the fight for Northern Irish women to have the same rights as women in England, Scotland and Wales has a long way to go. But this is a real step forward."
MLA Jim Allister said he believed that Marie Stopes was attempting to extend the availability of abortion.
"If they are going to operate within the parameters of the law, and do so accurately, why would anyone go to them when they can have that service, if they need it, under the law and have it free under the National Health Service?" he said.
Mr Allister agreed the group was pro-choice, "except for the unborn child, who has no choice, in their view, and who should be put to death, because that's what abortion is".
A Department of Health spokesperson said it would be a "matter for the RQIA" to determine if the clinic needed to be "registered for regulation and inspection by RQIA".
"The department would encourage anyone who has concerns or is seeking advice or treatment regarding any of these areas to contact their GP, local family planning clinic or genito urinary medicine clinic," the spokesperson said.
In August, Northern Ireland Health Minister Edwin Poots told the Stormont Assembly that between 2006 and this year 416 "medical abortions" and 262 pregnancy terminations took place.
However, the strict rules on abortion in Northern Ireland do not prevent women from travelling to the rest of the UK for the procedure.
Figures for 2011, show that just over 1,000 women travelled to England and Wales for terminations.
No figures are available for the Northern Ireland women who availed of so called "back-street abortions" or who procured abortion-inducing medication online.
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