Australia – Health groups call on candidates to reveal abortion support

The RACGP has joined forces with 39 high-profile health groups, calling on political parties to support improving abortion access for all.

Karen Burge
10 Apr 2025

Political candidates have been urged to publicly support abortion as part of their commitment to essential healthcare, in a joint statement signed by 40 health groups including the RACGP.

The college joined with groups including Jean Hailes for Women, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, the Australian Medical Association Victoria, and Family Planning Alliance Australia, calling on political parties to commit to ensuring affordable, accessible abortion care in Australia.

https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/leading-health-groups-call-on-candidates-to-reveal

10.04.2025

News

Australian Medical Association Victoria

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation

Dr Anita Muñoz

Family Planning Alliance Australia

Jean Hailes for Women

Australia – ‘Essential healthcare’: Health organisations call for equitable and improved access to abortion

April 10, 2025
By: ANMJ Staff

About one in three Australian women live in regions where no local GP provides medical abortion, while many public hospitals that provide maternity and women’s health services do not provide abortion care.

These significant barriers to abortion access have driven 40 of the country’s health and medical organisations, including the ANMF, to today call on all candidates and political parties running at next month’s federal election to reveal to voters where they stand on supporting and strengthening this essential healthcare.

According to the peak bodies, despite healthcare playing a major role in election commitments, abortion has largely remained absent from the national conversation.

Continued: https://anmj.org.au/essential-healthcare-health-organisations-call-for-equitable-and-improved-access-to-abortion/

10.04.2025

News

Annie Butler

Sally Hasler

Women’s Health Victoria

Healthcare leaders call for affordable, accessible abortion for Australian women

April 2025
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACPG)

Today, 40 health and medical organisations have called on all candidates and political parties running in the 2025 federal election to publicly affirm their support for access to abortion as part of an ongoing commitment to essential healthcare.

Despite healthcare being a major focus in this election campaign, abortion has largely been absent from the national conversation. Voters deserve to know where their candidates stand on improving access to abortion.

The imminent federal election presents an unmissable opportunity for candidates seeking the votes of Australians to clearly and publicly commit to the health and wellbeing of Australian women.

Continued: https://www.racgp.org.au/gp-news/media-releases/2025-media-releases/april-2025/healthcare-leaders-call-for-affordable-accessible

09.04.2025

News

Annie Butler

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation

Dr Anita Muñoz

Federal Secretary

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

Sally Hasler

Women’s Health Victoria

New Zealand – Review into timely and equitable access to contraception, sterilisation and abortion health care services

8 April 2025

The first periodic Review of Certain Matters under the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977 is available now.

As the steward of the health system, the Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora plays an important role in ensuring public safety and quality through our regulation and monitoring functions. This includes the administration of the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977 (the CSA Act).

This first review builds the foundations for the next periodic review and shows us where to prioritise our ongoing monitoring and regulation.

Continued: https://www.health.govt.nz/news/review-into-timely-and-equitable-access-to-contraception-sterilisation-and-abortion-health-care

08.04.2025

Research

Contraception Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977

‘It Just Adds Another Layer of Stress’: Rainbow people’s experiences of abortion services in Aotearoa New Zealand

8 April 2025

This research report was commissioned by the Ministry to help inform the Review of Certain Matters under the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977. It was one of three reports commissioned for three different consumer groups.

The research report focuses on the experiences of rainbow people and provides insights into how abortion health care services are perceived and accessed by this group since changes to the law in 2020.

Individual themes from the report for rainbow people: The overarching theme from the report of rainbow people involved the structural heteronormative discrimination of the health system against the rainbow community. A central component of this discrimination was a lack of recognition of the reproductive potential, ability and needs of the rainbow population.

Continued: https://www.health.govt.nz/publications/it-just-adds-another-layer-of-stress-rainbow-peoples-experiences-of-abortion-services-in-aotearoa

08.04.2025

abortion access for rainbow people

Contraception Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977

LGBT Rights

New Zealand

Oceania

Australia – Pressure mounts for NSW Health to improve abortion access statewide

By Joanna Woodburn, ABC Central West
March 16, 2025

New South Wales Health is refusing to detail what work it is doing to improve access to abortion services at public hospitals across the state.

The department is reviewing its policies governing termination of pregnancy, after its own report on the state's current abortion laws specifically recommended that ways to balance the rights of conscientiously objecting health practitioners with a woman's entitlement to receive timely care be examined.

Continued: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/pressure-on-nsw-health-to-improve-abortion-access/105032522

16.03.2025

News

Abortion Law Reform Act 2019

Max was circumcised as a baby. He wishes he could reverse it every day

Your body, but whose choice? From abortion and death to circumcision, vaccination and even amputation, who should have the final say in how we choose to live?

3 March 2025
By Caroline Riches

Who decides what you can and can't do with your own body? From conception to death and everything in between, including circumcision, vaccination and amputation, Insight explores the laws, ethics and pressures that dictate our bodily autonomy. Watch at 8.30pm Tuesday 4 March on SBS or live on SBS On Demand.

Max Roberts was born in the late 1950s and, like the majority of Australian boys at the time, he was circumcised a few days later. Now 67, Max is still angry he was never given the choice about his own body. Nor were his parents.

Continued: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/insight/article/i-was-circumcised-as-a-baby-i-wish-i-could-reverse-it-every-day/o0kgia7ai

Australia – NSW Greens introduce abortion access bill

Pip Hinman
February 24, 2025

Following recommendations from New South Wales Health on abortion as health care, Greens MLC Dr Amanda Cohn has introduced a bill which, if passed, would significantly expand access to abortion services across the state.

According to Family Planning Australia (FPA), almost one in three NSW local government areas do not have a doctor trained to provide medical abortions. Its December report, Use of Medical Abortion Services in NSW, Australia Between 2018–2022, found that women in regional and rural NSW seek medical abortion at more than double the rate of women living in the city.

Continued: https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/nsw-greens-introduce-abortion-access-bill

24.02.2025

News

Abortion Law Reform Act 2019

Abortion Law Reform Amendment (Health Care Access) Bill 2025

Australian Medical Association NSW

Dr Amanda Cohn

Dr Emmalee Ford

Dr Kathryn Austin

Family Plannnig Australia

New South Wales Health

Australia – Abortion law reform proposed in NSW after Orange hospital ‘ban’

By Joanna Woodburn, ABC Central West
Tuesday 18 February

A major overhaul of New South Wales's abortion laws, which would make it compulsory for most of the state's hospitals to offer the medical service, has been proposed.

Under the NSW Health directive, which outlines the legal requirements for termination of pregnancy, it is not mandatory for the state's health services to provide abortions. They are only required to offer "referral pathways" to ensure women have "timely access to care".

Continued: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-19/abortion-access-law-reform-proposed-nsw-hospitals/104944828

18.02.2025

News

abortion law reform

Abortion Law Reform Act 2019

Orange Health Service

Australia – New NSW bill that would allow nurses and midwives to prescribe abortions aims to address rural access

17 February 2025
Oliver Jacques

A new bill has been introduced into NSW parliament that would allow nurses and midwives to prescribe abortions.

The legislation has been tabled by Albury-based Greens MP and former GP Amanda Cohn, who has long campaigned for greater access to pregnancy termination.

“The bill is about making sure people can access abortion services when and where they need them, across NSW,” she said.

Continued: https://regionriverina.com.au/new-nsw-bill-that-would-allow-nurses-and-midwives-to-prescribe-abortions-aims-to-address-rural-access/83487/

17.02.2025