Priority Issues: Abortion – Women's Health Hub

Why is abortion access an issue?

Australian states differ in terms of legality and access to abortion. In some states abortion is lawful and publicly available with a woman’s informed consent; in others, abortion is still a crime for women and their doctors. Differing laws and regulations have created a ‘postcode lottery’, leading to extreme differences in women’s capacity to access safe, legal and affordable abortion services in Australia. Private pregnancy termination services are often unaffordable and inaccessible for rural women and for women on lower incomes.

Lack of clarity about state laws also causes confusion within the medical profession.

Government policy

Abortion legality and access is regulated at the individual State and Territory level.

State and Territory policy on abortion access

Abortion: Policy and Policy Development

Abortion Policies and Reproductive Health around the World

05/15/2014/in International (global) /by admin

Publisher: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division, 2014

Status – CURRENT

This report presents information on changes in legal grounds for abortion and related reproductive health policies since around the time of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, for 197 countries in the world, including all 193 Member States of the United Nations, 2 Observer States (the Holy See and the State of Palestine) and 2 non-member States (Cook Islands and Niue) of the United Nations. The report is based primarily on information available from the World Population Policies Database. The report also draws information from the World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision of the United Nations Population Division and the ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Survey conducted by the United Nations Population Fund in 2012, as well as selected data from other sources.

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Pregnancy Terminations: Summary of the New Law Fact Sheet

02/06/2014/in Government Policy, Tasmania /by admin

Publisher: Department Health and Human Services Tasmania

Status – CURRENT

This resource explains the recent changes to abortion legislation in Tasmania. Key words: Terminations; Abortion; Legislation.

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Abortion: Analysis, Comments and Position

Women and Sexual and Reproductive Health

11/22/2012/in AWHN Position /by admin

Publisher: Australian Women’s Health Network, 2012

Status – CURRENT

This paper advocates for a rights-based approach to ensuring all women can access comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care appropriate to their needs,regardless of their location, age, sexuality, financial status and religious and cultural background. It explores seven key areas through which good sexual and reproductive health for Australian women can be achieved. These are:promoting positive and respectful attitudes to sex and sexuality;developing women’s health literacy; increasing reproductive choice; facilitating women’s health throughout pregnancy and birth;expanding prevention and treatment of reproductive cancers and menstrual issues; improving prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs); and equipping the health workforce to better respond to women’s health needs.

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Australian abortion law and practice

05/06/2014/in Australia-wide /by admin

Published: Children By Choice Association Inc., 2014

Status – CURRENT

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Women and abortion : Issues Paper

05/06/2010/in Victoria /by admin

Published: Women’s Health Victoria, 2010 – (Women’s Health Issues Paper; 6)

Status – CURRENT

Covers: surgical and medical abortion, late-term abortion, number of abortions, current legal context, access to abortion, attitudes to abortion, abortion myths, current issues in Victoria, and good practice in abortion service provision. Although abortion is now legalised in Victoria, there remain ongoing issues relating to the ability of women to access services. Measures are needed to improve access to termination services, raise awareness about the options available to women, and initiatives that address unintended pregnancy.

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