Information, education and support
New South Wales is one of the last states to decriminalise abortion. We have seen the positive effects of decriminalising abortion in Queensland last year, with increased access to services in hospitals and more doctors willing to provide vital services without fear of prosecution. Marie Stopes strongly supports the bill to remove abortion from the Crimes Act in New South …
Scaremongering About Abortion Should Not Be A Federal Election Tactic With a Federal election two days away, inflammatory and misleading material has appeared throughout electorates, and online, about abortions in Australia. The majority of Australians, 70.5% according to the ABC’s Vote Compass, believe abortion should be more accessible, so the views expressed in the distributed material are not in line …
Marie Stopes Australia has welcomed the commencement of public consultation on safe access zones in Western Australia by the McGowan Government. The Minister for Health, Roger Cook and Minister for Women’s Interest’s and Prevention of Family Violence, Simone McGurk visited the Marie Stopes Midland Clinic today to announce the release of a discussion paper into safe access zones. “Marie Stopes …
Marie Stopes Australia welcomes the High Court ruling upholding the constitutionality of safe access zones in Victoria and Tasmania. Acting CEO of Marie Stopes Australia, Jamal Hakim said that “today’s High Court ruling demonstrates that women’s health, safety and privacy is absolutely critical when accessing healthcare services.” “A lot of effort has gone into the defence of these zones because …
Today is International Women’s Day. The United Nations theme for 2019 is #StrongerTogether At Marie Stopes Australia we know that what we do wouldn’t be possible without strength in numbers. Without the incredible staff who work at each of our clinics and support centres across the country, we would not be able to help the women who walk through our …
Australia urgently needs a national approach to the provision of sexual and reproductive health services and today, that need is one step closer to being met with the announcement by the Australian Labor Party that it would fund a national strategy if elected to Government this year. “While we have made some headway on sexual and reproductive health issues, it’s …
Marie Stopes Australia has been recognised by the Australian Council of Health Care Standards (ACHS) for its outstanding work with consumers to improve the patient experience. The award recognises Marie Stopes Australia’s work engaging consumers in workforce training, co-design of services and facilities, and advocacy campaigns and media. It also recognises the organisation’s transparency in reporting safety and quality outcomes …
Reproductive Coercion is a hidden form of violence and control that can have life altering consequences. Reproductive coercion is behaviour that deliberately prevents a person from making decisions about their reproductive health. It includes: contraceptive sabotage including “stealthing” Pressuring another person into pregnancy Forcing a person to have an abortion or continue a pregnancy Forcing a person into sterilisation. The …
Marie Stopes Australia welcomes White Ribbon Australia’s reinstatement of the reproductive rights statement on their website. We do, however, hold concerns as to what the stakeholder consultation process entails. The recent commentary from White Ribbon has also left us confused as to what White Ribbon is; a membership organisation or an organisation that advocates against domestic violence. Our main concern …
Marie Stopes Australia welcomed the passing of the Termination of Pregnancy Bill 2018 in the Queensland Parliament last night. CEO of Marie Stopes Australia, Michelle Thompson, said the passing of the Bill will modernise the State’s termination of pregnancy laws, provide certainty for healthcare professionals involved in abortion care, and stop treating women seeking abortions as criminals. “This is a …
Marie Stopes Australia welcomes the release of the Queensland Law Reform Commission report that recommends removing abortion from the State’s Criminal Code. CEO of Marie Stopes Australia, Michelle Thompson, said the announcement today by the Queensland Labor Government to support the recommendations and introduce draft legislation to decriminalise abortion was a win for Queensland women. “We are delighted that the …
Gender bias is all around us. It can be subtle, like calling a grown woman a “girl” or it can be obvious such as sexually harassing someone on the basis of their gender. Regardless of the form it takes, gender bias plays a crucial role in forming the way we perceive gendered roles and responsibilities. The media that we consume …
Today we officially launch our partnership with Healthshare, which allows you to refer your patients to our family planning services from within your practice management system. We have seen over 600,000 abortion, vasectomy and contraception patients in 20 years of care. In that time, we made medical abortion available in Australia, and have been working with GPs like you, and …
Marie Stopes Australia welcomes the passing of legislation by the NSW Parliament that will at last provide NSW women with safe access to clinics that perform abortions. Marie Stopes Australia CEO, Michelle Thompson, said that each day women accessing abortions in NSW run the risk of being photographed, filmed, harassed and intimidated when accessing the common medical procedure. “There is …
Marie Stopes Australia welcomes the passing of legislation by the NSW Legislative Council today aimed at providing women with safe access zones around sexual and reproductive health clinics. Marie Stopes Australia CEO, Michelle Thompson, said the passing of the legislation meant the zones were one step closer to becoming a reality. “For too long, side-walk counsellors have harassed, intimidated and …
