The Informer

29 May 2018

Do you know your abortion rights in Australia?

Government & Organisations, Health, Medicine, the informer

During the weekend, the world eagerly watched as the Irish abortion referendum results were announced. It was a landslide win for abortion rights in Ireland, but what are your rights at home?

Here in Australia, do you know what the laws are in each state when it comes to abortion and your rights?

The Informer’s Rachel Tyler Jones takes us state by state.

If you need more information about abortion in Queensland or New South Wales, Children by Choice is a Brisbane-based not-for-profit organisation that offers pro-choice, client-centred informatin on all unplanned pregnancy options, including abortion, adoption and parenting. To find out more, visit www.childrenbychoice.org.au or call 1800 177 725 Queensland-wide. If you are located in New South Wales, the information on this website is still helpful, and the list of interstate abortion providers is relevant to those living in both Queensland and New South Wales, where abortion is, for the most part, illegal.

If you are in South Australia, SHINE SA is a leading not-for-profit provider of both primary care services andeducation for sexual and relationship wellbeing. They offer free drop-in clinics for young people under the age of 25, they’re actively LGBTI friendly, and if you search the word ‘abortion’ on their website their fact sheet on abortion is accessible and very informative. To find out more, visit www.shinesa.org.au or call 1300 794 584.

For those in the Northern Territory, the Family Planning Welfare Association of the Northern Territory is a not-for-profit organisation that offers, among other services, information on how to access pregnancy termination services in the Northern Territory. To find out more, visit www.fpwnt.com.au, or call (08) 8948 0144.

If you are located in Tasmania, you can access information on abortion in Tasmania, including information on travel assistance if you have to travel to Melbourne to access pregnany termination services, by contacting the state-wide not-for-profit Family Planning Tasmania. To find out more, visit http://www.fpt.asn.au/.

If you are located in Victoria, and for those in Tasmania who may need to travel to access abortion services, you can access information through Family Planning Victoria. To find out more, visit the website at www.fpv.org.au, or for general advice and information over the phone, call the Box Hill clinic and ask to speak with a nurse for reproductive and sexual health advice on 1800 013 952.

For those in Western Australia, we were unable to find a dedicated not-for-profit organisation offering information on abortion, however, most abortions in Western Australia are accessed through the public system, so your GP should be able to advise you on your options. If this isn’t appropriate in your case, and for those who may not have easy access to a clinic Australia-wide, there is another option.

There are for-profit companies that offer medical abortion remotely via a phone consultation. A medical abortion, or non-surgical abortion, involves taking medication to induce a termination. If you google ‘abortion by telephone australia’, some of these services will come up on the first results page. Before accessing these services, it is recommended that you speak to a medical professional you trust to ensure that they are right for you, and to confirm that the service you are considering accessing is going to act in your best interests.

This episode of The Informer aired on JOY 94.9 on 29th May.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:40 — 6.9MB)

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