CW: This article will discuss matters related to sexual health and the complicated discussions of abortion-related care.
International Safe Abortion Day was held on September 28, marking 14 years of an internationally recognised fight for better reproductive health care. Following this, it’s crucial to revisit the accessibility of abortion care locally; on USyd campus, and throughout NSW.
In Australia, abortion care is legal but not fully subsidised through Medicare and priced according to the different abortion resources: telehealth, medical and surgical. The cost of an abortion is different for each state and territory and in some cases entirely financially inaccessible.
The 2023 Senate inquiry into Universal Access to Reproductive Health Care’ identified major structural barriers in Abortion care in Australia. Socio-economically, women still do not have fair access to these resources.
The Women’s Collective (WoCo) provided a collaborative statement to Honi Soit “While abortion is legal in NSW, the inaccessibility of this essential medical service remains a major barrier to true reproductive justice.”
Commenting on NSW and Sydney resources, the collective stated “With only two public hospitals in NSW offering surgical abortions, people still face exorbitant costs, and bureaucratic red tape just to access this healthcare. This is a direct consequence of over-policing women and gender-diverse people’s bodies.”
In response to this inequality, the University of Sydney has introduced their pilot podcast, Access all areas: Abortion in Australia, with a goal to “make abortion care accessible to all by harnessing the power of storytelling”. The podcast cites travelling to regional NSW to platform disadvantages and challenges to young people seeking care.
A spokesperson for the University said, “The podcast is an initiative of the Sydney Social Sciences and Humanities Advanced Research Centre (SSSHARC).”
Lea Redfern, an academic from the Media and Communications faculty, coordinates the podcast incorporating students in the process, “Our students (including Honours researchers, interns and a focus group) are involved at every level of the podcast, from research to reporting and production. They contribute to research, and bring personal insights and experiences that ensure the podcast reflects the concerns of young Australians.”
While a useful resource for some students, such a service can only act as a superficial solution to larger, structural issues like disparate access to services on campus. Earlier this semester, anti-reproductive rights groups protested on Eastern Avenue and University security was called.
When asked what tangible resources and services the University offers students in need of reproductive care a spokesperson for the University said, “Our University Health Service provides sexual and reproductive health advice, including information, assessment, treatment and referrals to specialist services. Clinical consultations are available for anyone seeking help on matters relating to abortion, with urgent consultations available over the phone for time-sensitive cases.”
The University spokesperson also cited one of the two public hospitals that WoCo referenced in their partnership statement, “Our Safer Communities Office partners with Royal Prince Alfred Sexual Assault Counselling Service to provide priority counselling and access to health services for those who need reproductive healthcare as a result of sexual assault.”
Yet WoCo suggested to Honi that there still remained vast inequalities of access across campus. The collective stated “We’ve recently learned that a reproductive health clinic within the Residential Colleges can prescribe mifepristone — the drug that can administer abortions.”
“While we welcome this, we condemn the University for not allowing all students access to this clinic. Every student, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, deserve to access this healthcare, yet this institution chooses to withhold it.”
Safe access to abortion rights have long been documented in the international fight for women’s reproductive and health rights. The World Health Organisation (WHO) cites abortion care is health care, and health care is a human right. In Australia, abortion has been legally protected since the Menhennitt Ruling of 1969. The International Safe Abortion movement has been recognised in Latin American and the Caribbean since 1990 but instated internationally in 2011.
Namely, the right to “to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children and to hove access to the information, education and means to enable them to exercise these rights” according to Article 16.e of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
For those looking for healthcare on campus, the University Health Service is located on level 3 of the Wentworth Building available to students and staff. The centre offers advice on “women’s health” and on “contraception and sexually transmitted diseases, including HPV”.
The spokesperson also told Honi, “Our counsellors offer support tailored to students’ individual needs as they explore their choices. They also work with GPs and/or clinics to connect students to specialist support, such as the Marie Stopes Clinic or Family Planning Australia.
Amendment: The University Health Service is located in the Wentworth Building and is not a separate service. The article was amended accordingly. (03/10/24)
