2018 – 1800 My OptionsThe 1800 My Options phone line and online information service were launched in March 2018 as part of the Victorian Government`s Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy. The strategy focused on removing barriers to women`s access to SRH services. To date, 1800 My Options has supported nearly 18,000 Victorians, answering questions about contraception, pregnancy options, abortion and sexual health, and connecting them to appropriate services. In October 2020, a bill for the complete decriminalization of abortion was introduced in the state parliament. [75] By law, an abortion can be performed on request up to one week of pregnancy of 22 weeks and six days. After this period, a doctor can only perform an abortion if he consults another doctor and both believe that the procedure is medically appropriate. The reform completely removed abortion from the penal code. The Legislative Council passed the bill on 3 December 2020,[76] as did the House of Assembly on 19 February 2021 by 29 votes to 15. [77] When an amendment banning so-called “sex-selective” abortion was passed by the Assembly,[77] the amendments were approved by the Legislative Council on March 2, 2021 and received Royal Assent on March 11, 2021. The law required other regulations to be issued by the government to come into force. The government published the regulations on June 23, 2022; which entered into force on 7 July 2022. [78] [79] [80] Health Minister Chris Picton criticized the former Liberal government, which was defeated by Labour in the March 2022 election, for “delaying and burying these regulations and failing to explain to the community why it did not move them forward.” [79] Traditional Christian beliefs have played a major role in influencing Australia`s anti-abortion policies. Changing attitudes toward abortion and reproductive rights are correlated with fewer Australians perceiving their country as a “Christian nation,” which has reduced the influence of right-wing Christian politicians.

[97] However, the stigma surrounding the issue of abortion remains and can severely affect women`s sense of identity and mental health, and also affect whether abortion is performed. Women may choose to claim that they have had a miscarriage instead of telling people that they have had an abortion to avoid negative reactions. [98] In the mid-1990s, the Conservative Howard government was in power in Australia, with Conservative and independent Senator brian Harradine from Tasmania holding the balance of power in the Senate. Howard negotiated a deal with Harradine to gain his support for the legislative proposals, including the privatization of national telecommunications provider Telecom. In return, Harradine received support for the introduction of abortion restrictions. [7] Therefore, unlike other drugs, abortifacient drugs had to need the approval of the Minister of Health before they could be evaluated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Since the TGA assessment is a prerequisite for the sale of drugs in Australia, this has led to a ministerial veto. [8] As a result, aborted RU-486, which was widely used overseas, was banned in Australia. [9] The persistent refusal of Tony Abbott, then Minister of Health, to allow abortions in Australia led to the introduction of a bill by a private member in late 2005 to refer the approval back to the TGA. The bill was passed in 2006. [10] [11] From 2006 to 2012, the drug was still not registered with the TGA, and physicians needed special TGA status to be able to prescribe it; [12] Even after registration, special conditions and restrictions still apply to its use. [12] Medical experts in Australia believe that abortion drugs are over-regulated.

[13] In 2015, the Victorian government banned abortion opponents from protesting within 150 meters of a health or fertility clinic. “Safe Access Zones” laws are governed by the Public Health and Welfare (Safe Zones) (2015) (Safe Zones) Amendment Act 2015, which states that in safe zones, the following is prohibited: Some doctors will not provide abortion information or services based on their personal beliefs. This is called conscientious objection. In 2015, it was reported that women from other parts of Australia flocked to Victoria to access late-term abortions in private clinics and public hospitals, as access to abortion in Victoria was relatively easy compared to other states. In the Northern Territory, abortion requires the consent of two doctors after the 24th week of pregnancy. Surgical and medical abortion is available in the public health system. [64] This is unusual in Australia, where abortion services are often outsourced to private providers. [65] There are myths and misconceptions about abortion, and you may have come across websites with conflicting information.

On the Better Health Channel`s “Abortion Myths and Facts” page, you`ll find up-to-date and factual information. Since March 2016, protesting within 50 metres of an abortion clinic in the Australian Capital Territory (also known as “no-protest zones”) has been a criminal offence. [49] [50] Abortions are funded in part by Medicare, the federally funded public health system that has effectively halved the cost of surgical abortions since 2015,[3] or by private health insurance, which is also regulated by the federal government. The federal government also provides funding to public hospitals and can therefore influence abortion policies and practices. Abortions and abortion counselling are considered health services and are exempt from the Goods and Services Tax (GST). (b) Communication relating to abortions in a manner that can be seen or heard by a person who accesses, accesses or attempts to leave the premises where abortions are performed and that is reasonably likely to cause stress or anxiety; Or A legal precedent regarding the legality of abortion was set in Australia in 1969 by the Menhennitt decision in the Victorian Supreme Court`s R v Davidson case,[4] which stated that abortion was legally justified when “it is necessary to maintain the physical or mental health of the woman concerned, provided that the risk associated with abortion that should prevent abortion, does not predominate.” Since then, court decisions and legislative reforms have helped to create a medical framework for abortion in Australia; [3] The Menhennitt decision was subsequently widely accepted by the courts of New South Wales[5] and Queensland[6], and had influence in other states.