An abortion review in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, is recommending a change to the law that would allow non-physicians like nurse practitioners and midwives to prescribe the abortion pill.
Proponents of the law change cite the fact that many doctors, especially in rural areas, have conscientious objections to abortion.
“[Conscientious objectors] can delay a person seeking help and permeate a sense of judgement [sic] which often can cause considerable psychological distress, as well as increasing health risks as time progresses,” Denise Lyons, a nurse practitioner from the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association, told ABC News.
That sentiment was echoed by Anna Noonan, a research fellow and “abortion academic” at the University of Sydney, who was also interviewed by the news outlet.
“What if the conscientious objector is the only medical practitioner [in the town]? Where does that leave us? So I think the option of there being nurse or midwife-led abortion care is really positive,” she said.
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According to ABC News, a change in the law would allow around 900 more healthcare providers to prescribe chemical abortions.
The abortion pill, or chemical abortion, is a two-step process in which the woman first takes mifepristone, which cuts off the naturally occurring pregnancy hormone progesterone, thereby starving the preborn child of the nutrients needed to survive. The mother then takes misoprostol, which induces labor and causes her to deliver the baby. The procedure comes with a large number of side effects, including severe cramping, contractions, and heavy bleeding, as well as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and headaches.
Research carried out by the pro-abortion Gynuity has shown that six percent (6%) of women who take the abortion pill will require care at an ER or urgent care facility due to complications — and that is believed to be a low estimate. The abortion pill procedure has also been found to be four times more dangerous than a first-trimester surgical abortion.
While abortion advocates want non-physician distribution as a way to make the abortion pill more available, particularly in rural areas, there is no explanation as to what happens to the woman who takes these pills and then experiences complications — especially if she has been given the pill without a doctor’s direct oversight. If she is in a rural area, can she easily access a hospital or urgent care? Who is the doctor she calls when she needs help? These questions, and the safety and well-being of the women involved, are eschewed in the name of making abortion as widely available as possible, no matter the cost.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park has indicated that the government will be considering the report’s recommendations.
