A DECISION by the United States (US) Supreme Court last week to reverse legal abortion laws made almost 50 years ago was a massive step backwards, according to Women’s Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West (WHWBSW) chief executive, Emma Mahony.

Ms Mahony said that while women and girls in the United States can no longer access a safe abortion, she was pleased to be engaged in a conversation about abortion and what it means for women and girls locally.

“We don’t actually speak enough about abortion – or sex,” she said.

“I welcome the discussion.”

She said women residing in regional and rural communities experience inferior access to sexual and reproductive health services than women who live in metro communities. Women in the Barwon South West region were no different and face multiple barriers.

 “I think we’ve come a long way in Victoria to ensuring safe access to abortion, (however) in rural and regional communities it is absolutely more difficult to access.”

Ms Mahony said there were several factors contributing to those difficulties, including costs, issues around access to services locally, opening times, travel distance to services, and lack of transport, privacy, and stigma.

She said individuals felt their needs and choices might be observed and judged, particularly in small communities where people know each other.

Abortion was decriminalised in Victoria in 2008, however, Ms Mahony noted many women and girls did not know what options were available to them or where to access the services.

“In a country town like Hamilton, there is the unique experience of a small rural or regional setting where it is difficult to access the services confidentially, and where a woman or girl can feel comfortable,” she said.

“It is (also) actually very hard to find out which hospitals provide the abortion service – that is a particular challenge.

“There are transport costs, and you’d also have to find a doctor who is willing to explore and discuss the options available.”

She said discussions around safe sex and consent were critical to the abortion discourse.

“Safe sex is just one part of that discourse, and it is really difficult to talk about, but we must talk about it,” Ms Mahony said.

WHWBSW is a lead organisation in all matters relating to the reproductive system in the region, extending from the Barwon region to the South Australian border, covering nine local government areas.

Ms Mahony said women deserve to have a satisfying and a safe sex life and the capability to reproduce, if, when and how often they decide to.

Lack of service availability can have a negative consequence to women’s sexual and reproductive health.

1800 My Options is a website that provides free and confidential information about contraception, pregnancy options and sexual health in Victoria, and identified Barwon South West as having a lower rate of callers, compared to other regional areas across the state.

WHWBSW is committed to ensuring all women in the Barwon South West region experience good sexual and reproductive health, and a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being in all matters relating to the reproductive system.