From America to Australia: The impact of Roe v Wade on abortion rights down under

24 Jun, 2023 | Advocacy, Equity and access, Media

As families prepare to gather for Christmas, there’s a hidden crisis intensifying behind closed doors: reproductive violence, where someone uses coercion, manipulation, pressure or control to dictate another person’s reproductive choices, is affecting thousands of women and pregnant people across our region.

1 in 3 women globally will experience reproductive coercion in their lifetime, including sabotage of contraception, forced pregnancy, prevention or pressure related to abortion care, and financial or emotional threats linked to reproductive decisions.^[1]

In Australia, around 1 in 5 women accessing abortion services report some form of coercion or control from a partner, and frontline counsellors say cases are becoming more complex, particularly during holiday periods when isolation and family pressure escalate.^[2]

“Reproductive violence remains largely invisible, but it is happening right now, in homes, relationships, and families across Australia and the world,” said Grishma Bista, CEO, MSI Asia Pacific.

“No one should face abuse, pressure, or control over their reproductive choices. Access to safe, confidential care is essential, especially at a time of year when family dynamics can amplify risk.”

Holiday season increases risk

The end of the year is a peak period for relationship stress, financial pressure, travel, family expectation and isolation from support networks, all factors that increase risk of reproductive violence and reduce access to help.

MSI Australia’s psychosocial team reports a surge in women disclosing lack of control, fear, or pressure from partners in the lead up to Christmas, particularly around continuing or ending a pregnancy.

“We regularly support clients who are frightened, confused, or unsure if what they are experiencing is abuse,” said Alison Fonseca, Psychosocial Health Manager at MSI Australia.

“Reproductive violence can look like sabotaging contraception, hiding medication, pressuring someone to continue or terminate a pregnancy, or threatening to withdraw financial support. It is gendered violence, and it has devastating consequences.”

Regional impact demands regional action

Across the world, reproductive coercion is deeply connected to gender inequality, stigma, economic dependence, and access to health services. In many countries, there are no legal safeguards, limited counselling services, and severe stigma around reproductive healthcare.

“At MSI, we see resilience every day, people finding the courage to seek help, make their own decisions, and protect their future,” Ms Bista said.

“But access to safe pathways must be funded, protected and strengthened.”

Campaign launching: Help us support safety, choice and care

This Christmas, MSI is launching a donation campaign to support people experiencing reproductive violence, here and overseas.

Funds raised will:

Provide emergency psychosocial support including counselling
Cover the cost of abortion or contraception care for people facing coercion
Support local services in countries where reproductive violence is rarely acknowledged

Every donation, large or small, helps someone make a decision free from control, fear and pressure.

“No one should be forced into or out of a pregnancy,” Ms Fonseca said.

“With community support, we can make sure reproductive choices belong to the person, not their partner, not their family, and not their circumstances.”

Key facts

1 in 5 Australian women seeking abortion report pressure or coercion related to pregnancy decisions
Only 12 out of 43 Asia Pacific countries have legislation enshrining the right to choose the number, timing, and spacing of children ^[3]
Reproductive violence is one of the least recognised forms of gender-based violence, despite being reported in clinical and counselling settings worldwide ^[4]
Family violence is consistently one of the high-recorded months for family violence incidents ^[5]

[1] World Health Organisation. (2021)

[2] MSI Australia. (2020). Hidden Forces: Shining a light on reproductive coercion white paper

[3] IPPF. (2023). Asia Pacific Contraception Policy Atlas.

[4] Tarzia & McKenzie. (2024). Reproductive coercion and abuse in intimate relationships: Women’s perceptions of perpetrator motivations

[5] Crime Statistics Agency. (2025). Family Incidents

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For more information contact Anna Jabour on 0403 322 992

Today marks the one year anniversary of the overturning of Roe v Wade in the USA.

The shock decision spurred public conversations and rallies in Australia, with a renewed focus on abortion access issues down under.

MSI Australia Head of Policy and Research Bonney Corbin said while there are some striking similarities between the U.S and Australia in terms of access and barriers to abortion care, Australia was now one of the few countries making progress towards universal access to abortion care.

“In Australia, abortion law operates under a federated model, resulting in confusing and contradictory regulations between states to territories,” she said.

“Inconsistencies within Australian healthcare system leads to a disparity of experiences, with some of those seeking abortion care needing to travel long distances which causes financial and emotional distress.

“Most Australian states and territories have only decriminalised access to abortion in the past 15 years, so many hospital and health regions haven’t yet sorted out how they will provide abortion access.

“The complexities and discrepancies within Australia’s abortion access framework have been thrust into the public conversation, in part due to the increased attention on reproductive rights following the reversal of Roe v Wade in the US.

“The public response has been pronounced. We saw an uprising like we hadn’t seen before.

“The rallies, the noise that people made, prompted more public conversations about abortion.

“This surge of Australian public interest in reproductive rights resulted in a Senate inquiry late last year into universal access to reproductive healthcare, which offered a bipartisan examination of Australia’s abortion laws and access.”

Ms Corbin said it is estimated that between one in three and one in four women or pregnant people in Australia have had an abortion in their lifetime.

“With the increased discourse around this issue, many in the community, government, and workplaces have found themselves under pressure to look at ways to improve reproductive health and wellbeing,” she said.

” Women and pregnant people experiencing financial distress rely upon philanthropic funds, like the Australian Choice Fund to cover their healthcare costs of up to $8,000.

“Philanthropic funds for abortion access are running dry, we are constantly scrambling for funds to support women and pregnant people who can’t afford their choice of abortion care.

“The recent Senate inquiry consequently addressed these barriers, resulting in 36 recommendations for improvements to abortion care within the health system.

“These recommendations range from financial reforms to clinical training and education, even extending to relationships and sexuality education in schools.

This week, Western Australia (WA) has tabled a bill on abortion law reform, aiming to remove lingering aspects of abortion still existing within the criminal code.

“WA was one of the first places in Australia to decriminalise abortion. This bill will remove some of the complexities left over from that process in 1998,” Ms Corbin said.

“People in Australia travel between Perth and Brisbane, Darwin and Adelaide to access abortion care on a weekly basis, a longer distance than some people in Texas.”

“The future is promising, following the ACT announcing funding for free abortion care, which began in May.

“In the past year alone we’ve seen abortion law reform in South Australia and the Northern Territory, so it’s clear that unlike the US, we are still moving forwards.

“I’m happy to say Australia’s access to reproductive rights is safe within the global context, thanks to ongoing support by politicians, community leaders, industry leaders and health consumers.

“Many of us have family and loved ones in the US. This is a time to demonstrate solidarity and support with people who have had abortions, within our own families and communities.”

The Australian Abortion Access Scorecard can be viewed here. View a summary of State and Territory abortion laws here.

Women and pregnant people can book a teleabortion here.

Donate to the Choice Fund to support people experiencing financial hardship or other barriers to abortion and contraception care here.

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For further information contact Anna Jabour on 0428 396 391.

MSI Australia is the only national not-for-profit provider of sexual and reproductive health services including permanent and long-acting reversible contraception and abortion care. For more information on our clinic network visit msiaustralia.org.au