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January 2006
Produced in collaboration with Reproductive Choice Australia to articulate arguments in favour of giving regulatory oversight of RU486 to the Therapeutic Goods Adminsitration (Parliament subsequently voted in favour of this proposal). The Guide documents the scientific and medical community's support for access to the drug in Australia and counters a range of misrepresentations of the drug's uses, effects and safety record.
October 2005
Studies performed in other countries have indicated that “the safety, efficacy, and acceptability of the
regimen combining 200 mg mifepristone and the option of home administration of Misopristol used
suggests that is should be considered further in more developed and less-developed countries”
Abortion
in Australia
November 2004
It is difficult to estimate accurately
the number of abortions performed in Australia. Reliable data is
only available from South Australia and Western Australia where
terminations are notifiable by law and reported annually.
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November 2004
Abortion appears to be the only widely
practiced medical procedure in Australia that is criminalised. Termination
of pregnancy is contained under the Criminal Act in every state
and territory except the ACT.
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November 2004
National Health and Medical Research Council
figures indicate that mortality associated with abortions has declined
since 1971 where legal changes occurred in a number of states providing
some protection for abortion providers.
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November 2004
Access and equity are generally measured
through aspects such as cost, appropriateness, eligibility criteria,
location, timeliness and quality of services.
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October 2005
In some countries, such as the United
States, the drug Mifepristone, also known as RU-486, can be lawfully
administered to women by their doctors under an approved treatment
regime.
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November 2004
Compared to other OECD countries Australias
teenage fertility rate (TnFR) lies in the middle to upper range.
In the late 1990s the teenage fertility rate ranged from 2.9 in
Korea to 52.1 in the United States.
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November 2004
The Newcastle Institute of Public Health
conducted a review of clinical studies reports published in Australia
and internationally over the past 30 years looking at te psychological
consequences of the termination of pregnancy on women.
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November 2004
Unwanted pregnancy is linked to a range
of social, cultural, economic and psychological factors. There are
no simple solutions or single factor interventions that will reduce
the rate of abortions.
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November 2005
The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), in PNG, The Solomon Islands, and Timor
Leste are among the highest in the world. The Total Fertility Rates (TFR) in the
Pacific is also high. In 2000 the TFR exceeded 4 in at least 12 Pacific countries.
In Timor Leste the TFR is 7.7, making it the highest in the world (DHS 2003).
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November 2004
Recent data from The Australian Survey of Social Attitudes 2003 show that 81.2% of Australians, regardless of gender or religion, agree that "women should have the right to choose an abortion".
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