MORE SUPPORT – NOT MORE ABORTION
Pascoe Vale MP Christine Campbell said women with unexpected or problematic pregnancies are entitled to community support and should not be treated as nuisance third-class citizens in Victoria.
“There are no existing regulations or minimum standards that apply to this type of procedure, because abortion in Victoria until now has been outside the law,” Ms Campbell said.
“Now is the time to stop closing our eyes to women-focused health standards. It’s simply not good enough.
“We need to give real support to women who are facing life-changing decisions. That support must go beyond ‘It’s your choice’ which is often little more than lip service.”
Ms Campbell wants all State MPs to support regulations that will demand high standards of care, treatment and counselling, irrespective of how the conscience vote on decriminalising abortion is resolved.
She said minimum requirements must include:
• Access to independent decision-making counselling on all options available to a woman who is considering an abortion,
• Post-abortion counselling, and
• Mandatory reporting by doctors of minors who have abortions.
“At the moment, you can ring up a clinic in the morning and have the abortion carried out in the afternoon,” Ms Campbell said.
“Women need independent counselling to be able to make reasoned and informed decisions with all possible options being put before them.”
Ms Campbell, who spent more than 20 years assisting teenage girls and women with unexpected pregnancies, said post-abortion counselling is critical.
“Women who have taken that decision know the pregnancy has ended but that they are forever changed because of their motherhood.”
Ms Campbell said there was also a desperate need to collect information on the number of minors having abortions. She said mandatory reporting by doctors is essential to allow authorities to intervene and deal with incidences of incest and sexual abuse of young women.
“I look forward to examining the legislation when it is introduced in Parliament.”