• While the broader sphere of sexual and reproductive health affects all genders and sexualities, women carry a disproportionate burden of reproductive health issues.

• Dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine fibroids, cervical, ovarian and other gynaecological cancers are health concerns unique to women. All of these conditions are often under-diagnosed or diagnosed late, leading to long periods of untreated pain and lost opportunities to prevent the worsening of symptoms or progression of disease.

• On average, women are fertile for over 40 years, which represents around 480 occasions where pregnancy is possible.

• For teenagers and young women, comprehensive sexual, reproductive and respectful relationships education, access to affordable sanitary products and youth and women-friendly health care providers are needed.

• For sexually active women, access to safe, affordable, effective contraception, suitable to their individual needs, is essential. Currently, it is estimated that around half of all pregnancies are unplanned. o Anecdotally, women report significant barriers to accessing emergency contraception, specifically judgmental attitudes by pharmacists.

• While accurate data on induced abortion is notoriously difficult to obtain, it is estimated that around a third to a quarter of women will have an abortion at some point in their reproductive lives. Services need to be modern, supportive and non-judgmental, within an appropriate legal framework and adequate service planning.

• It is well documented that pregnancy termination services are extremely limited and prohibitively expensive in most parts of Australia. Laws governing pregnancy termination are also different in every state and territory.

 

READ FULL PAPER