Abortion, contraception not accessible to all in Victoria, experts warn

A lack of public hospitals offering surgical abortions and practitioners failing to refer patients because of personal beliefs are among the issues limiting “basic healthcare rights” for Victorian women, experts warn.

Abortion access in Victoria is a “postcode lottery”, experts warn, and a fifth of all local government areas do not have a single listed provider.

“Major inequities” in abortion and contraception access have been detailed by a new Women’s Health Victoria report, which warned the “basic healthcare rights” were “not accessible for all”.

Issues uncovered included the lack of public hospitals offering surgical abortions; practitioners failing to refer patients because of personal beliefs and “service deserts” which “significantly” limited the choices of patients, such as underage girls or socio-economically disadvantaged women, unable to travel.

The report, to be released on Thursday, has called on governments to boost funding, support, free or low-cost reproductive care and research.

It analysed more than 30,000 de-identified calls made to the state’s abortion and contraception helpline 1800 My Options between 2018 and 2023, with callers ranging in age from 12 to in their 80s.

Only the Royal Women’s Hospital provides abortions past 16 weeks gestation. Picture: David Crosling

The report said 87 per cent of callers concerned terminations and women from disadvantaged areas were more likely to be over nine weeks of gestation, and past the medication cut-off, narrowing their options to one of just 35 surgical providers statewide.

Only one provider, the Royal Women’s Hospital, provides abortions past 16 weeks gestation.

Women’s Health Victoria chief executive Sally Hasler said the over-representation of women from disadvantaged areas above nine weeks was “not a coincidence”.

Analysis of the helpline’s database of known providers shows call takers did not have a local medication abortion provider to refer callers to for one in five LGAs.

But this skyrocketed to 45 per cent in 24 most disadvantaged rural and regional LGAs.

There was no know pharmacy to dispense medication for 39 per cent of all LGAs, compared to 60 per cent of disadvantaged.

Two-thirds of all LGAs did not have a surgical abortion providers.

Ms Hasler said it was “unacceptable that the most disadvantaged and marginalised communities have such limited options” for reproductive healthcare.

The report found underage girls who called the helpline were also more likely to be above nine weeks, and five times as likely to report sexual assault.

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas says the government is ‘continuing’ its work on the issue. Picture: Diego Fedele

Other challenges frequently cited by callers included financial insecurity – a quarter of all calls – and mental illness, which was mentioned as a challenge by one in ten.

Family violence was mentioned by 1853 – or 6 per cent of – service seekers, and gestations above nine weeks by 1400, or 4.7 per cent.

There was 234 cases where callers said they were being coerced to continue the pregnancy, 196 who said they were being pressured to abort and 200 involving a sexual assault.

The report found efforts by the Victorian government to improve access – such as opening sexual health hubs and providing abortions at more public hospitals – had helped, but more needed to be done.

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said the government was “continuing” its work on the issue.

“Abortion and contraception are healthcare and they should be accessible for any woman, no matter where she lives,” she said.

Originally published as Abortion, contraception not accessible to all in Victoria, experts warn