Abortion access continues to be out of reach for disadvantaged and regional Victorians, with some having to travel hundreds of kilometres and spend thousands of dollars for care. or signup to continue reading Barriers to abortion services are leading to more people seeking procedures after nine weeks gestation, narrowing their healthcare options, a report from Women's Health Victoria reveals. The analysis took de-identified data from more than 30,000 calls to the organisation's 1800 My Options helpline, 725 registered sexual health providers, and statistics.
It reveals those living in high-disadvantaged metropolitan areas are 17 per cent more likely to seek abortion access at over nine weeks gestation than those living in affluent metropolitan areas. In rural and regional areas, those in low-disadvantaged communities are 200 per cent more likely to seek abortions after nine weeks, while people in high-disadvantaged regional areas are 300 per cent. These people are left with fewer options as medication abortion is only available up to nine weeks and surgical abortion providers are overwhelmingly concentrated in metropolitan areas.
"The 'postcode lottery' of sexual and reproductive health access is persistent, consistent and highly inequitable," the report states. Two-thirds of local government areas across the state do not have surgical abortion providers, 19 per cent do not have abortion medication providers and 39 per cent do not have pharmacies that dispense abortion medica.
