Update: The story originally stated RANZCOG had updated its guidance on mandatory pre-treatment ultrasound. In fact, the college has included a link to UK guidelines advising ultrasound may not be necessary.

Strict rules around medical abortion need to be relaxed because the pandemic is hampering women’s ability to access it, a coalition of GPs and reproductive health specialists say. 

Changes required include scrapping Authority Prescribing and extending the qualifying gestational period by seven days, according to the Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health COVID-19 Coalition, which includes the RACGP and RANZCOG.  

As more households face financial pressure because of COVID-19, there has been a jump in the number of women deciding not to continue with a pregnancy, says the convenor of the coalition, Professor Danielle Mazza, head of the department of general practice at Monash University, Melbourne.