Information, education and support
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 …
On Wednesday 9th May, while Australia continued to dissect what the 2018 Federal budget meant for each of us, US-based research and policy body, The Guttmacher Institute and one of the world’s leading medical journals, The Lancet, released a comprehensive report on the progress of sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide. The report contains staggering statistics; almost 4.3 billion …
Mother’s Day is just around the corner and finding the right gift for the maternal figure in your life can be hard. At Marie Stopes, we’re all about making life easier for Australian women who are making tough decisions. So this year, we’ve put together the perfect gift list! Surprise your mum or mum-figure with something we guarantee she doesn’t …
This Mother’s Day if you’d like to make a difference to the lives of Australian women who are struggling to access sexual and reproductive healthcare, consider donating to our Marie Stopes Choice Fund. Every woman deserves the right to decide when and if they wish to be a mum, but not all women are able to access the resources they …
Today is International Women’s Day and in 2018 the focus is on #PressForProgress At Marie Stopes we don’t just want to provide services to women, we also support and are passionate about them. The services we provide are important because of the opportunities they make available to women. A woman who has access to contraception is a woman who can …
