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We are thrilled with the announcement that Australian women and girls will soon find it easier to access medical abortions, closer to where they live.
Current restrictions mean that only doctors who are licensed prescribers and specially trained can prescribe the medical abortion pill, MS-2 Step.
Currently, only about 10 per cent of doctors and 30 per cent of pharmacists in Australia are certified. Thankfully, from 1 August 2023, qualified healthcare professionals (including nurse practitioners) will be able to prescribe MS-2 Step.
See: Therapeutic Goods Administration media release.
This change will make a huge difference to the thousands of people who have been unable to access MS-2 Step within the nine-week period, especially people living in regional and remote areas and people with complex issues.
The Women’s, along with many others, has been advocating strongly for this change and we applaud the decision-makers who have listened and taken action.
About MS-2 Step
MS-2 Step is used to end a pregnancy up to nine weeks of gestation. If someone knows early in a pregnancy that they wish to have an abortion, they should be able to access this service close to home within the nine-week timeframe.
If they are not able to, they may face surgical abortion, serious health complications and unwanted pregnancy.
Access to abortion is fundamental to women’s sexual and reproductive healthcare, it is a human right and an important public health issue.
To find out more, see the Women’s submission to the Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee’s Inquiry into Universal Access to Reproductive Healthcare.