Bulletins

Below are bulletins that have been published by the Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Coalition.  If you have any questions about the content of our bulletins, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

14 August 2023 - Telehealth for contraception and abortion care

  • Telehealth is comparable in safety, efficacy and acceptability to in-person services, and can improve a patient’s access to contraception and abortion information and care.

24 July 2023 - The SPHERE Coalition's response to the final report of the Senate inquiry into universal access to reproductive healthcare

  • On the 25th of May 2023, the Senate Community Affairs References Committee (The Committee) released its report following their inquiry into universal access to reproductive healthcare, and made 36 recommendations to the Federal Government.

24 July 2023 - Use of hormonal contraception in people with COVID-19 infection

  • People with COVID-19 may potentially be at additional risk for thromboembolism. This risk may be attenuated by contraceptive products which also increase risk of thromboembolism. In our most recent consensus statement we outline recommendations for COVID-19 patients who are also current users of hormonal contraception.

14 March 2023 - The SPHERE Coalition's response to the Human Rights (Children Born Alive Protection) Bill 2022  

  • Access to pregnancy termination services is a reproductive and legal right in Australia, and is a key priority of the National Women’s Health Strategy 2020-2030. We have significant concerns regarding the proposed Human Rights (Children Born Alive Protection) Bill 2022.

1 March 2023 - The SPHERE Coalition's submission to the Senate inquiry into universal access to reproductive healthcare

  • In September 2022, a Senate Inquiry into universal access to reproductive healthcare was established. Our submission brings together relevant findings from our previous consensus statements and outlines 30 associated recommendations and five imperative actions to guide national leadership, investment and policy development.

28 June 2022 - SPHERE Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Coalition statement on Roe v. Wade

  • The SPHERE Coalition strongly supports the provision of abortion as an essential health service and integral component of reproductive health care and rights. We stand in solidarity with US health care professionals who provide abortion care and work to protect safe, compassionate access to abortion services.

20 July 2022 - Increasing access to effective contraception in Australia

  • There is a high unmet need for effective contraception in Australia, and a number of barriers to access including high costs, misinformation among women and health practitioners, and limited health practitioners who can insert and remove long-acting reversible contraception such as intrauterine devices and implants.

11 May 2022 - Position statement on Roe v Wade

  • The SPHERE Coalition have issued a position statement following recent news of the United States Supreme Court's intent to overturn Roe v Wade.

23 March 2022 - Policy recommendations for the 2022 election

  • With a federal election now very close, the SPHERE Coalition has compiled a list of our key policy recommendations for advancing women’s health in Australia.

13 December 2021 - Provision of long-acting reversible contraception during the COVID-19 pandemic: updated advice

  • We had anticipated our previous Consensus Statement on achieving equitable access to abortion in rural and remote Australia to be our last for 2021, however we are writing to let you know of the updated advice regarding the extended use of LARC for women who access services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

8 November 2021 - Achieving equitable access to abortion care in regional, rural and remote Australia

  • Access to abortion care in Australia is highly inequitable, with limited availability and inconsistent access to both medical and surgical abortion services and few publicly-funded options available in most states, particularly in regional, rural and remote areas.

20 October 2021 - Access to surgical abortion during COVID-19 pandemic

  • With rising cases of COVID-19 and related hospitalisations in Victoria and NSW, we are concerned that some public hospitals may suspend provision of surgical abortion services. 

13 July 2021 - Reproductive coercion in Australia: recommendations for policy and practice

  • The SPHERE coalition has developed a Consensus Statement highlighting the important issue of reproductive coercion in Australia and the need for more evidence to appropriately address and respond to this.

30 June 2021 - Removal of restrictions to phone and video consults for sexual and reproductive health including early medical abortion

  • From 1 July 2021, the existing relationship requirement for MBS-funded telehealth no longer applies to patients accessing sexual or reproductive health, blood-borne viruses and pregnancy counselling. 

9 June 2021 - Revised guidance on the use of anti-D in Australia

  • Following the release of similar guidance from the UK’s National Institute of Clinical Excellence in 2019, and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in March 2020, the Australian National Blood Authority has on the 28th of May released revised guidance on the use of anti-D in Australia in relation to medical termination of pregnancy.

28 May 2021 - Current data for key sexual and reproductive health indicators

  • In seeking to ensure that reliable, up-to-date evidence is used in the discourse around sexual and reproductive health in Australia, we have compiled a list of current data for key sexual and reproductive health indicators.

11 May 2021 - Implementation and monitoring of the National Women’s Health Strategy 2020-2030: ‘maternal, sexual and reproductive health’ priority area

  • The SPHERE coalition discusses the need for clarity and transparency regarding implementation and monitoring of the National Women's Health Strategy 2020-2030, with a specific focus on the 'maternal, sexual and reproductive health' priority area.

26 April 2021 - 52 mg Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (IUD) as emergency contraception: examining the evidence

  • The SPHERE coalitions response to a recently published randomised controlled trial conducted in the US which considered whether the 52mg Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (IUD) was non-inferior to a Copper-bearing IUD as a method of post-coital emergency contraception.

7 December 2020 - Publicly-funded abortion service provision: a duty of care

  • The distribution of publicly-funded health services (including hospitals and medical clinics) is fragmented across the country, with only a fraction of these services providing medical and/or surgical abortion care.

14 September 2020 - Nurse and midwife-led provision of mifepristone and misoprostol for the purpose of early medical abortion

  • Recommendations for nurse and midwife-led provision of mifepristone and misoprostol for the purpose of early medical abortion.

24 August 2020 - Provision of emergency contraception

  • Ensuring women have sufficient access to emergency contraception is essential, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when there may be increased rates of unprotected sex and reproductive coercion and reduced access to regular forms of contraception.

17 August 2020 - Shortage of norethisterone-containing pills in Australia: advice for GPs

  • From 20 July 2020 the Government introduced further refinements to the COVID-19 items. As of that date, GPs and other medical practitioners working in general practice must only perform a COVID-19 telehealth service where they have an existing relationship with the patient, or record for compliance purposes how their patients qualify for any exemptions to this requirement.

30 June 2020 - Using telehealth to provide early medical abortion during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

  • The temporary COVID-19 Medicare Benefit Scheme (MBS) telehealth item numbers, introduced at the start of the pandemic have made it possible for Australian women (excluding those in South Australia), to receive Medicare funded telehealth EMA for the first time.

10 June 2020 - Provision of long-acting reversible contraception during the COVID-19 pandemic

  • Recommendations concerning the continuation of LARC services, timely access to insertion and replacement of LARC methods, advice for situations during the pandemic where access may be limited due to higher rates of community transmission of COVID-19, and the use of personal protective equipment in relation to LARC insertion.

28 May 2020 - Evidence-based recommendations for early medical abortion (EMA), during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

  • Recommendations concerning the mandatory requirement for an ultrasound prior to medical abortion, the gestational limit of 63 days for the use of MS-2 Step, Anti-D administration and MS-2 Step as an unrestricted prescription.