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Australia’s leading sexual and reproductive healthcare organisation today called on all Victorian MPs to support the decriminalisation of abortion in Victoria, recognising and respecting the rights of women and couples.

Their calls came as the Attorney-General, Rob Hulls, presented the Victorian Law Reform Commissions report outlining recommendations for clarifying the current state of the law to Parliament today.

“A woman’s right to choose the spacing and timing of her family has been internationally recognised as a human right since the 1960s – yet in Victoria, abortion is still considered a crime,” said Suzanne Dvorak, Australian CEO of Marie Stopes International.

“The retention of abortion in the state criminal code stigmatises women and couples who choose abortion, reducing their access to accurate information and their willingness to seek timely support.

“In 2002, abortion was repealed from the Crimes Act in the ACT and it is time Victoria and the rest of Australia follows.”

The Australian Survey of Social Attitudes 2003, conducted by the Centre for Social Research at the ANU, found that over 80% of Australians agree with a women’s right to choose an abortion.

A 2004 study looking at the views of 2,500 GPs - General Practitioners: Attitudes to Abortion[1] also found that 84% of GPs support access to abortion services for all women. The same study indicated that Victorian GPs were more likely than the national average to be pro-choice.

“These statistics show that there is overwhelming support in the community for a woman’s right to choose abortion,” Ms Dvorak says.

“It is therefore vital that our politicians represent the beliefs of the overwhelming majority of their constituents and remove the risk of prosecution against women seeking an abortion and their doctors.

“We urge all MPs to work together to decriminalise abortion in Victoria once and for all.”

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Marie Stopes International is a not-for-profit sexual and reproductive healthcare provider, with centres in Victoria, the ACT, Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. The organisation offers a range of services, including abortion, vasectomy, sexually transmitted infection check-ups and contraception. Surplus proceeds from Australian activities support the work of Marie Stopes International Partnerships, which delivers sexual and reproductive health services to more than four million people in over 38 countries.

For media enquiries contact: Samantha Smith, Public Relations 0421 097 150

[1] Commissioned by Marie Stopes International and conducted by Quantum Market Research. The findings were based on surveys completed by 2,500 GPs nationally in July 2004.