Few medical issues are as time sensitive as abortion. Delayed access to abortion services can be the difference between taking a pill or requiring surgery, especially for those living in regional South Australia.
The research also shows that fewer than 1% of abortions carried out in SA would be impacted by proposed new restrictions.
Key points:
- The most recent SA health data (2024) shows that 97% (4,589) of abortions were conducted in metropolitan health clinics, 2.7% (126) were conducted in country health facilities, and the remainder were conducted via telehealth.
- While 17.5% of South Australians live outside metropolitan Adelaide, the vast majority of regional women seeking abortion services have to travel to Adelaide to get them.
- While the proposed new restrictions would erode women's access to abortions after 25 weeks gestation, data reveals fewer than 1% of abortions take place after 23 weeks gestation. Many of those (where a woman's life would be in danger if the pregnancy progressed) would still be conducted in the unlikely event that the proposed new restrictions were passed.
- Women who live in towns like Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Mount Gambier face significant financial, transport and time issues accessing abortion services, potentially requiring expensive flights to Adelaide. In places like Coober Pedy (almost nine hours' drive from Adelaide) the challenges are even more extreme.
"Abortion is legal in all states and territories, but that doesn't mean it is accessible to everyone who needs it," said Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director of The Australia Institute.
"Australia Institute research shows South Australians living in the country don't have equal access to the abortion healthcare they need, with more than eight in ten rural South Australians forced to travel to Adelaide to access abortion care.
"There are efforts to erode access to abortion care across multiple states and to turn women's health into a political lightning rod, including the bill before South Australia's upper house
"Across the country, the vast majority of Australians support access to abortion, including rural Australians, with just 5% of rural Australians opposing access to abortion full stop.
"It is clear from the experience in the United States, that banning or restricting access to abortion compromises women's health. More women die, more women experience severe medical complications and their future fertility can be compromised by not being able to access the care they need when they need it."
