Abortion is legal across every state and territory in Australia, but the concentration of services in metropolitan areas means that people who live in regional and remote areas face added barriers to accessing timely care. Timely access to abortion could mean the difference between taking a pill (for an early-term medical abortion, available for up to nine weeks) and requiring surgery (for a surgical abortion, performed between 10 and 22 weeks).  

This report analysed publicly available data from South Australia (SA) to determine if access to abortion care is equitable across metropolitan (city) and country (regional and remote) parts of the state. It found that both medical and surgical abortions are more likely to be conducted in metropolitan-based health clinics. In SA, 18% of the population who might need abortion care (women, trans, non-binary and intersex people aged 15 to 49 years old) live in country areas. But the data shows that over 97% of all abortions in SA are performed by metropolitan-based healthcare providers, while under 3% of abortions are coordinated in country-based health services.

The report recommends improving access in country SA. SA Health could support general practitioners and primary care providers working in regional and rural areas to deliver abortion. The South Australian Government could also expand awareness of telehealth options for abortion care.