WA’s Abortion Laws Are The Most Fkd In Australia, So What Needs To Be Done To Fix Them?

The state of abortion care in WA is fucking catastrophic. Abortion is still criminalised, archaic laws heavily regulate the procedure, there are horrific access issues and on top of all that, the Health Department refuses to promise reform. Experts are confident improvements can be made — there are just a lot of roadblocks that need to be removed. Marie Stopes International Australia head of policy Bonney Corbin

says eliminating access barriers is the first step. “We need accessible abortion services throughout the state… all health practitioners across WA need to know where they are, how to support people to get there and how to have social services that can support women to get that care,” she says. For doctors in regional WA, it means their referral options are extraordinarily scarce.“For a GP in regional WA, sitting in front of a single mum who has transport issues and is experiencing financial hardship, maybe the closest abortion provider is 400km away,” Corbin says.Even in Perth, although free abortion care and contraception are available through a state-funded clinic, it’s only accessible for people living in certain postcodes.

Abortion funding is a postcode lottery in Australia. The choice fund is one way that gaps in funding are delivered, but it relies in private philanthropists. Read more in todays piece in @ProBonoNews. @yodaberg @BonneyCorbin @MSI_Australia #AbortionIsHealthcare https://t.co/lR8zcXjt9T

— Jamal Hakim (he/him) (@thejamalhakim) July 4, 2022

Pregnant people at 20 weeks’ gestation can only access abortion if they face an “ethics panel” which consists of a minimum of six medical practitioners. Two of them must agree the person or foetus has a severe medical condition that justifies the procedure.If the panel says no, patients must decide whether they want to fly across the country to have an abortion.“We support women and pregnant people in that situation every week,” Corbin says.It’s also legislated that health practitioners can conscientiously object to providing abortion care — this means they can refuse to facilitate abortion access due to their personal beliefs.People, hospitals and health institutions are also under no legal duty to perform abortions.legal requirement doctor with a persistent, stabbing headache and having them refuse to refer you to a neurologist. Criminal Code

Folks in Australia following #RoeVsWade, remember that patients can still be criminalised in both South Australia & Western Australia. The federated model and over regulation of Australian abortion law was already a quagmire. There is much work to do, globally. #DominoEffect

— Bonney Corbin (@BonneyCorbin) May 3, 2022

may be at risk of being criminalised for accessing abortion under specific circumstances. “I’ve asked our clinics in WA and they think they might see someone that falls into these categories once every two months or three every two months,” she says.For example, dependant minors — patients under the age of 16 who live with their parents, including legal guardians — cannot consent to an abortion. Instead, their parents have the final say.In these instances, Corbin says abortion providers have always been able to work it out with the patient and their parents.

Thousands of people here in Perth, Western Australia supporting the free choice of American women following SCOTUS’ backwards decision regarding abortion rights and women’s health. It could happen here. #RoeVsWade @reardon_shaun pic.twitter.com/sM1jXOURik

— Daniel F Riordan (@Jomoboy_Photog) July 2, 2022

 Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson admitted the state’s abortion laws were archaic but didn’t promise any changes.PEDESTRIAN.TV asked WA’s Department of Health why Sanderson fell short of committing to any improvements. Instead of answering the questions, the media team directed us to a recording of the Health Minister speaking at the opening of anew hospital ward in PerthWhen asked whether legislative reforms were a priority for the McGowan government, she said: “My priority as Health Minister is ensuring we have the best health system.”

The post WA’s Abortion Laws Are The Most Fkd In Australia, So What Needs To Be Done To Fix Them? appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .