Every day Carolyn Mogharbel takes calls from distressed women facing hours-long journeys to Melbourne in order to access a surgical abortion.
Experts such as Mogharbel, a manager at the 1800 My Options program that provides free advice about reproductive health services, have said access to abortion in Victoria largely depends on where a woman lives.
Surgical procedures were mostly available in urban areas, meaning those from the outer suburbs and regions faced increased costs to cover travel, accommodation and time off work.
“We hear from people every day who have to travel often several hours to be able to access what is standard reproductive health care,” Mogharbel said.
On Wednesday the state’s health minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, will announce that three more hospitals – based in Melbourne’s eastern and western suburbs, and in the Mornington Peninsula – would offer surgical abortions.
Eastern Health has begun offering surgical termination services, with Peninsula Health and Western Health to follow in the coming months. Combined, the three health providers service almost two million Victorians.
The announcement comes as this month the government marks 15 years since the decriminalisation of abortion and eight years since the introduction of safe access zones around clinics.
Under the reforms, Victorian women can access abortions up to 24 weeks. Beyond 24 weeks, a medical practitioner can provide an abortion if another medical practitioner agrees that it is appropriate.
Thomas said this latest step would mean fewer women would have to travel to the city for safe and accessible abortion services.
“Undertaking any medical procedure can be a stressful experience, and with improved access across Melbourne, more women will be able to access this critical healthcare option at their local hospital – ensuring they are closer to the support of friends and family, while also reducing the cost and time of travel,” she said.
Mogharbel welcomed the announcement.
“If there’s now a service in Frankston, that will mean – for someone living further down the peninsula – that will be a one-hour journey rather than two hours, which will bring down the cost of travel, as well as knock-on costs such as childcare and accommodation,” Mogharbel said.
She said public hospitals were one of the only health services that either fully bulk-billed surgical abortions or charged lower fees, with most services provided by GPs, private clinics and specialists costing between $600 and $900.
This is in addition to the cost of a GP visit for a referral and other tests that are required before a termination.
“About 30% to 40% of our callers can’t afford the sexual and reproductive health that they’re looking for, so the only option is going to be a public hospital, or one of the state government hubs,” Mogharbel said. “That’s why announcements like these are so important.”
Mogharbel said 1800 My Options receives about 600 calls each month, with 85% relating to terminations. Based on calls to the hotline, some of the greatest demand was from the growing outer metropolitan areas in Hume, Melton, Whittlesea and Wyndham, which she said will benefit from the services being offered at Western Health.
Thomas said Victoria had the most “progressive laws in the nation and a network of metropolitan, regional and rural health services” providing terminations.
She said further work was also under way to improve access to women’s healthcare services, including adding to the state’s 11 sexual and reproductive health hubs and establishing 20 new comprehensive women’s health clinics.
