Deserve more kindness

They limit her access to clinics and doctors and they convey to her false information. The underlying assumption… is that women can’t be trusted to make their own health decisions.”

The challenging path that Charlie and Sue have taken is being replicated by at least 10 Tasmanian women each month.

Since closure of the surgical facility in January, patient numbers from Tasmania have grown tenfold.

Each woman tells a familiar story.

The need to travel has placed them under increasing stress and strain and taken them from family and support networks.

It’s added significant cost financially and emotionally.

Abortion is ethically challenging from some, but it is a very important part of a woman’s sexual and reproductive health.

It needs to be provided with care, compassion and with the option to access a suite of supporting services such as counselling, contraception, screening for sexually transmissible infections and treatment. It also needs publicly funded support like many other health services.

I urge the Tasmanian Government to consider the mental and physical welfare of Tasmanian women seeking abortions.

They do not deserve to be second-guessed, judged, stigmatised and penalised for making a deeply personal decision about their health and family circumstances.

Tasmania has a chance to be one of the states in Australia that deals with this issue compassionately and responsibly.

I urge the Premier and Health Minister to consider supporting the local provision of a surgical abortion service as part of a broader suite of sexual and reproductive health services.

We stand ready to work with the Government as do politicians and healthcare professionals from all sides of the political spectrum.

Let’s support Tasmanian women like Charlie and Sue.