A doctor’s story shows ‘late-term’ abortion access is politically charged – but crucial

September 2, 2025
Prudence Flowers, Senior Lecturer in US History, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University

Review: Beyond Limits: Stories of Third-Trimester Abortion Care – Shelley Sella, MD (Random House)

In the United States, around 1% of abortions occur after 21 weeks. Yet these abortions are intensely vilified. Recall Donald Trump’s graphic and false claim that US laws allowed doctors to “rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month, on the final day”.

For two decades, Dr Shelley Sella provided abortion care in the US into the third trimester of pregnancy: that is, after 26 weeks gestation. Her new book Beyond Limits offers an intimate account of health care and politics, written from the front lines of America’s abortion wars.

In Australia, abortion after 20 weeks gestation is also statistically rare – and most Australians agree that people need abortions after 20 weeks for a variety of medical and social reasons. However, in the last year or so, the focus on later abortions seems to be intensifying here, along with misinformation.

Continued; https://theconversation.com/a-doctors-story-shows-late-term-abortion-access-is-politically-charged-but-crucial-263920

02.09.2025

anti-choice lies

anti-choice terrorism

third-trimester abortion

Tony Abbott

Hate over love: conservative influencers have brought angrier anti-abortion politics to Australia

May 27, 2025
Prudence Flowers

After two decades of abortion decriminalisation across Australian states and territories, there has been a sudden surge of anti-abortion activity online, in the streets and in parliaments.

Since 2022, right-to-life bills were introduced federally and in Queensland and were voted on in South Australia. During the 2024 Queensland state election, one politician vowed to introduce a conscience vote on abortion to return it to criminal law.

Continued https://theconversation.com/hate-over-love-conservative-influencers-have-brought-angrier-anti-abortion-politics-to-australia-257444

UK – State and federal MPs describe death threats and vile abuse in wake of Joanna Howe’s anti-abortion campaign

Representatives around the country say third parties sent abusive messages after they were targeted for their stance on abortion

Tory Shepherd
Wed 21 May 2025

State and federal MPs around the country say they and their staff have received death threats from third parties amid controversy generated by the self-described “assertiveness” of the anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe.

Howe, an expert in migration law at the University of Adelaide, has campaigned for anti-abortion laws in various state parliaments, and this month organised a rally – attended by the former prime minister Tony Abbott – against NSW reforms to improve access to services. She said on social media people “need to be hysterical” about the bill, which represented what she called “an extreme, radical takeover of our country”.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/21/state-and-federal-mps-describe-death-threats-and-vile-abuse-in-wake-of-joanna-howes-anti-abortion-campaign-ntwnfb

Abortion pills to be easier to access after Greens bill passes in NSW despite opposition from Tony Abbott
Legislation brings state in line with others, as opposition leader says he refuses to cave to ‘Americanisation of NSW politics’ after grassroots campaign

Natasha May
Wed 14 May

New South Wales women will have easier access to abortion pills after the state passed a bill allowing nurse practitioners and registered midwives to prescribe the medication.

The bill – which aims to improve access to healthcare for women in rural and regional areas – passed the lower house on Wednesday, despite vocal opposition including by former prime minister Tony Abbott.

Continued; https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/14/nsw-medical-abortion-access-bill-passes-both-houses-ntwnfb

What is the new abortion bill in NSW – and why is Tony Abbott trying to stop it?

A proposal to improve access to abortion services could soon become law. So what’s in the bill – and why has it caused heated debate?

Natasha May Health reporter
Tue 13 May 2025

New South Wales decriminalised abortion in 2019 – but it’s still inaccessible for many people in the state.

In February, the Greens NSW spokesperson for health, Dr Amanda Cohn, introduced a new bill in the state’s upper house seeking to amend the Abortion Law Reform Act 2019 to improve access to services, particularly in regional and rural parts of the state where there are vast abortion deserts.

The bill’s second and third readings last week prompted heated debate in parliament. It also spilled out on to the steps, with an anti-abortion rally attended by prominent campaigners, including the former prime minister Tony Abbott.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/13/what-is-the-new-abortion-bill-nsw-services-law-reform

Australia – NSW politicians will vote on abortion this week. Here’s what could be changing

By Nick Dole
May 12, 2025

A bill to expand abortion services in New South Wales will face a crucial vote in the lower house this week.

While the most controversial aspects of the bill were stripped out in the upper house last week, Labor and Coalition MPs will still be granted a conscience vote on what Premier Chris Minns says is a "vexed issue".

What's being proposed？ The bill, introduced by upper house Greens MP Amanda Cohn, aims to expand women's access to abortion by allowing nurse practitioners to supply medication to terminate pregnancies, up to nine weeks' gestation.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-13/nsw-politicians-to-vote-changes-abortion-bill-what-are-they/105282854

12.05.2025

midwives and abortion

nurse practitioners and abortion

Australia – Liberal leader refuses to show hand on contentious abortion bill

By Michael McGowan
May 12, 2025

NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman is refusing to say whether he will back legislation to amend the state’s abortion laws so experienced nurses and midwives can prescribe medical terminations up to nine weeks’ gestation.

The state’s lower house will this week vote on a bill put forward by NSW Greens MP Amanda Cohn to widen abortion access, after a NSW Health review found so-called “abortion deserts” across the state were undermining the landmark 2019 legislation which decriminalised it.

Continued: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/liberal-leader-refuses-to-show-hand-on-contentious-abortion-bill-20250511-p5ly8d.html

12.05.2025

Australia – Tony Abbott calls new bill to improve abortion care access an ‘assault on our rights’

by Brianna Boecker
May 7, 2025

Just days after the Liberal party’s shattering election defeat, former prime minister Tony Abbott appeared at an anti-abortion rally against a Greens bill to address barriers to abortion care in New South Wales.

Speaking to the crowd outside the NSW parliament, Abbott condemned the bill, describing it as an “assault on our fundamental rights and freedoms”.

“Shame on the Minns government for engaging in this extremist conspiracy with the Greens,” Abbott said.

Continued: https://womensagenda.com.au/politics/local/tony-abbott-calls-new-bill-to-improve-abortion-care-access-an-assault-on-our-rights/

07.05.2025

News

Abortion Law Reform Act 2019

belief-based care denial

conscientious objection

Telehealth has improved abortion access for women around Australia. We can’t let it lapse

A dearth of political leadership means abortion drugs remain inaccessible, unsafe and unaffordable for many women

Gina Rushton
Published on Tue 14 Jul 2020

It has been 24 years since the federal government chose the partial privatisation of Telstra over the rights of Australian women to safely terminate a pregnancy with abortion drugs. In 1996, anti-abortion independent Brian Harradine, who held the balance of power in the Senate, agreed to support John Howard’s one-third float of the telecommunications company if the government amended legislation to give the health minister veto to prohibit the import, manufacture or use of abortion drug RU486 (mifepristone).

A perpetual dearth of political leadership in the subsequent quarter century has meant the drugs remain inaccessible, unaffordable and at times unsafe for many women in Australia outside of a certain income or major city.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2020/jul/15/abortion-drugs-remain-inaccessible-unsafe-and-unaffordable-for-many-australian-women

Abortion decriminalized in Sydney after Australian lawmakers overturn 119-year-old law

Abortion decriminalized in Sydney after Australian lawmakers overturn 119-year-old law

By Julia Hollingsworth, CNN
Thu September 26, 2019

(CNN)Abortion has now been decriminalized in almost all of Australia after the country's most populous state voted to overturn a 119-year-old law.

On Thursday, lawmakers in New South Wales -- which is home to Sydney -- voted to pass a bill that decriminalizes abortion and makes terminations available to people who are less than 22 weeks pregnant.

Continued: https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/26/asia/abortion-australia-decriminalized-intl-hnk/