Georgie Purcell, now a Victorian MP, has shared her personal experience of having an abortion at age 21, which transformed her views on the issue. She describes the shock of discovering how difficult it was to access the procedure despite its decriminalisation in Victoria in 2008.
Purcell recounts taking a pregnancy test while on the contraceptive pill and being stunned by the positive result. She knew immediately she did not want a child at that stage of her life, but faced significant barriers: the public system had long waiting times, and she had to pay $550 at a private provider in 2013, a substantial sum for someone on casual hours.
She highlights ongoing issues, including a shortage of public surgical abortion providers and restrictions on medical professionals prescribing the abortion pill RU486. Less than 10% of GPs nationally are registered to prescribe it, dropping below 1% in regional areas, forcing women to travel long distances or resort to unsafe methods.
Purcell calls for reforms such as allowing nurses to prescribe medical abortions, which would reduce costs and improve access, and making contraceptives free. She emphasises that no justification is needed for choosing abortion, and warns against complacency following the overturning of Roe v Wade in the US, as anti-choice activists may seek to restrict access elsewhere.
