Abortion: ‘Women tell us that GPs not only won’t assist them, but they won’t refer them on’
Some doctors with a conscientious objection to abortion are breaking Victorian law by refusing to refer patients to practitioners without a moral objection to the procedure, a survey suggests.
In 2008, Victoria became the first Australian state to force doctors to refer their patients on to doctors without a conscientious objection, under reforms intended to ensure women’s access to abortion.
The changes (see box below) were controversial among a number of doctors who argued they undermined their right not to be complicit in the procurement of procedures they regarded as morally wrong.
According to a team of Victorian researchers who surveyed 19 abortion providers in the state, providers believe some doctors are contravening the law by refusing to actively refer women on.
