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Speaker 1: We know that the COLP had tabled a petition in

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Speaker 1: the Northern Territory Parliament last week. It was signed by

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Speaker 1: more than two thousand people calling for abortion rights to

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Speaker 1: be repealed in the Northern Territory. The petition seeks to

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Speaker 1: overturn reforms from twenty twenty one which brought to which

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Speaker 1: brought the Northern Territory in line with other jurisdictions by

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Speaker 1: removing the need for an assessment by a second doctor

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Speaker 1: up to twenty four weeks gestation, allowing late term abortions

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Speaker 1: if deemed appropriate by multiple practitioners. Now joining me on

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Speaker 1: the show to explain the current processes around terminations is

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Speaker 1: Family Planning NTS Doctor Stephanie Pender. Good morning to you,

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Speaker 1: doctor Pender.

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Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, thanks for having me.

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Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time this morning. Now,

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Speaker 1: are the current abortion laws in the Northern Territory adequate?

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Speaker 1: In your opinion?

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Speaker 2: From a healthest perspective, I think the twenty twenty one

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Speaker 2: laws were really a critical step in increasing access to

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Speaker 2: say and timely abortion care and the NT and rolling

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Speaker 2: this back would make it harder for people to access

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Speaker 2: an essential healthcare, especially in rural remote services and I

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Speaker 2: think that's a real concern for patients and providers.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, that's something you know, my brain hadn't even thought of,

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Speaker 1: is what it might be like. Actually, if you are

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Speaker 1: living in a more of a remote location, it would

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Speaker 1: be incredibly difficult. I mean, so tell me what you know,

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Speaker 1: what was the situation for women seeking a termination before

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Speaker 1: those twenty twenty one changes.

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Speaker 2: I cantrently don't comment on that. I'm not involved in

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Speaker 2: a later term abortions, but there used to be a

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Speaker 2: law where two doctors would have to sign off on

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Speaker 2: a late term abortion. Now below twenty four weeks that

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Speaker 2: only requires one doctor.

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Speaker 1: So I mean, would you be concerned if the laws

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Speaker 1: were changed reverting back to the way that they were previously.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I would be concerned. I think abortion is a

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Speaker 2: really essential health care service and the people that come

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Speaker 2: in seeking abortion don't do it lightly and do so

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Speaker 2: for a range of reasons. And I think it's a

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Speaker 2: really important service for human rights and we need to

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Speaker 2: respect that.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, look, I agree with you, and I find it

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Speaker 1: you know, this is my opinion obviously, not yours. I

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Speaker 1: find it a bit odd that we're looking at going

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Speaker 1: backwards in this space. No, woman makes this decision lightly.

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Speaker 1: In fact, I would you know, I would argue that

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Speaker 1: it's a really really tough decision for somebody to make

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Speaker 1: or to go down this path. Doctor, from your from

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Speaker 1: your experience, do you have many patients that do come in,

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Speaker 1: or many women that come in seeking a later term

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Speaker 1: abortion or is it generally much earlier in the piece?

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Speaker 2: It's generally much earlier in the piece. We know that

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Speaker 2: it's about ninety two percent of women that seek abortion

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Speaker 2: the first sort of twelve weeks of pregnancy, and they

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Speaker 2: do so for a range of reasons and a range

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Speaker 2: of backgrounds. Most late term abortions are for a range

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Speaker 2: of very difficult reasons. Sometimes that can be because fetal

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Speaker 2: abnormalities are diagnosed. A woman can be in really difficult

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Speaker 2: circumstances that might have mental or physical health problems, which

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Speaker 2: means it's unsafe to continue a pregnancy. They might be

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Speaker 2: experiencing severe domestic violence, trauma, reproductive coersion, or just have

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Speaker 2: had really difficult to be accessing health care services up

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Speaker 2: to that point.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. Do you think it's a bit of a firthy

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Speaker 1: that you know, some people believe that, you know, this

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Speaker 1: is just women making a lifestyle choice.

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Speaker 2: Look, I respect that people hold a range of different

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Speaker 2: personal beliefs. However, as a doctor, my role is to

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Speaker 2: support a patient in what they need and often that

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Speaker 2: may be ending a pregnancies judgment and that is supportive

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Speaker 2: and that supports someone to live the best version of

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Speaker 2: their life they can.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, look, I know, I know it's a tough, you

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Speaker 1: know topic I think as well for people to discuss,

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Speaker 1: but I do think it's really important that women are

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Speaker 1: able to access, you know, like you've said, a healthcare

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Speaker 1: service or a medical service that is you know, that's required.

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Speaker 1: It's not a decision that's taken lightly. Absolutely, I really

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Speaker 1: appreciate you having a chat with us this morning. Thank

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Speaker 1: you very much, Doctor Penda, thanks so much, and we'll

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Speaker 1: chat to you again soon. Thank you.