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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Tory Shepherd and Katharine Murphy

Australians seeking pregnancy counselling report coercive pressure as poll shows support for abortion care

woman with clipboard holding other woman's hands
New research says 15% of those seeking pregnancy counselling are subject to either ‘pregnancy preventing’ or ‘pregnancy promoting’ behaviour. Photograph: fizkes/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Fifteen per cent of clients seeking pregnancy counselling have been subjected to “reproduction coercion and abuse”, a study has found, as new polling suggests a majority of Australian voters want governments to take action to address barriers to accessing abortion care.

The new article, published in the journal Reproductive Health, says the 15% of people seeking pregnancy counselling after unplanned pregnancies were subjected to either “pregnancy preventing” or “pregnancy promoting” behaviour. The article defines reproduction coercion and abuse (RCA) as “behaviour that interferes with a person’s decision to become pregnant or to continue the pregnancy”.

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