Dark Horizon: Queensland’s Drift Towards Abortion Pill Access For Nurses And Midwives
Queensland is on the verge of becoming Australia’s first state to enact a law allowing nurses and midwives to administer the abortion pill, signifying the next stage in the Labor government’s drive for universal abortion access.
In August, Cherish Life reported the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s decision to dismantle restrictions on prescriptions related to abortion pills.[i]
Currently, only doctors are permitted to prescribe the abortion pill. However, a Labor Bill introduced on Thursday last week seeks to authorise Queensland nurses and midwives to act as abortion practitioners during the early stages of pregnancy (up to nine weeks).[ii]
Progress or Peril? MSI Health’s Delight and NASOG’s Cautious Critique
Advocates of the Bill contend that eliminating these restrictions results in a positive change, addressing regional obstacles to abortion access. Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman states, “Allowing nurses and midwives to administer medical termination drugs will mean greater access and more choice for women, particularly where access to surgical termination is unavailable.”[iii]
Expert Medical Practitioners Grave Concerns
Unsurprisingly, MSI Health, holding the exclusive rights in Australia to distribute these pills, is ‘delighted’ and supports this ‘progressive move.’ Catriona Melville, MSI Australia’s director of clinical excellence, asserts, “We believe it will contribute to better health outcomes for Queenslanders and set a positive example for the rest of the country.”
However, this ‘progressive stance’ is not universally embraced; as National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (NASOG) president Dr Gino Pecoraro deems it a ‘political’ rather than a health solution.[iv]
He adds:
“It’s a dictum in medicine that you shouldn’t be prescribing something if you can’t deal with the complications of it. I’m just concerned that on the surface this looks like a wonderful thing to increase access to regional and remote disadvantaged women … but the first rule has to be do no harm, and I’m not convinced we’re not going to do harm.”[v]
He cites a firsthand example of the critical dangers, recounting how he was called to save the life of a 40-year-old woman flown in from NSW after being prescribed the abortion pill, who experienced significant side-effects and bleeding. He declares, “She nearly died.”
Dr Pecoraro estimates that 5% of all medical abortions result in complications, concluding, “Someone could die from this.”
Ms. Fentiman has rejected concerns from expert obstetricians that nurses and midwives might not be equipped to handle complications.
Most significantly, the Bill overlooks its primary victims – the unborn children who will lose their lives due to this expansion. To them, this Bill poses a definitive health risk. Tragically, not a single word is uttered about them.
What is a Medical Abortion?
Let us never forget, a medical abortion is the deliberate killing of an unborn child. The process is as follows:
Step 1
The woman swallows the first pill, Mifepristone which acts to block the action of a naturally occurring hormone called Progesterone. Progesterone is produced through the entirety of pregnancy and is vital in facilitating the passage of nutrients to the developing unborn child through the placenta. It also helps to stabilise the uterine muscle to help prevent natural miscarriage. When Mifepristone is ingested, it blocks Progesterone, which causes the placenta to break down, cutting off oxygen and vital nutrients to the unborn child. The child then dies in the mother’s womb.
Step 2
Within 48 hours after taking Mifepristone, the women takes Misoprostol, the second pill in the two-step process, which causes the uterus to contract, simulating labour. After swallowing the second pill, the woman will often experience severe cramping, contractions and heavy bleeding, before forcing the deceased child out of her uterus.
This process can be incredibly painful and bleeding can last for several days. Although the mother could lose the unborn child at any stage after taking the pills, it is common for the women to sit on the toilet and expel the unborn child down the drain.[vi]
Conscience Clash: Ethical Concerns as Nurses Face Moral Dilemma on Abortion Pills
Additionally, this Bill will have profound implications for nurses and midwives who may grapple with a moral dilemma when providing these pills. A concerned individual commented on The Australian’s article, ‘I hope the nurses will have the option to refuse to prescribe these drugs on grounds of conscience — non-practising nurse and midwife’.[vii] Thankfully, The Guardian Australia reports, ‘a number of publicly funded Catholic Hospitals, including the Mater in Brisbane are opting out.’[viii]
Remarkably, the amendment will also alter references in the Bill from ‘pregnant women’ to ‘pregnant person,’ further illustrating the crazy ideological forces behind the Bill and the Australian Labor Party more generally.
Queensland’s Perilous Leap Into Controversial Legislative Change
Queensland stands on the precipice of a tragic change. The gravity of this legislative change, as cited, is laden with potential risks to women and presents a death sentence to more and more unborn Australian children.
What Next?
Submissions for the Bill close at 10am on Monday, 15 January 2024. A public hearing will take place on Thursday 1 February and a final report will be due on 8 March 2024.
Early in the New Year Cherish Life will be providing you with ways in which to craft and send a submission to the inquiry.
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[i] Matthew Cliff, “Pulling Back The Curtain: Labor’s Abortion Expansion And Controversial Pill Approval,” Cherish Life Website, August 2023, https://www.cherishlife.org.au/pulling_back_the_curtain_labor_s_abortion_expansion_and_controversial_pill_approval1
[ii] Queensland Parliament, “Health And Other Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2023,” Queensland Parliament Website, November 2023, https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-Committees/Committees/Committee-Details?cid=169&id=4312
[iii] Lydia Lynch, “Nurses, midwives to prescribe abortions pills in Queensland.” The Australian, November 2023, https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/nurses-midwives-to-prescribe-abortion-pills-in-queensland/news-story/ffc8c15b61242a3aa7372693b9e1e48b
[iv] Sarah Ison, “Peak obstetricians’ body warns women at risk after abortion pill access expanded.” The Australian, July 2023, https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/peak-obstetricians-body-warns-womens-lives-at-risk-after-abortion-pill-access-expanded/news-story/6a8fda27ce238232c73c56d53c8f06d2
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Live Action, “1st Trimester Abortion | The Abortion Pill | What Is Abortion?” Live Action YouTube, June 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnEHZiud8dg&ab_channel=LiveAction
[vii] Lydia Lynch, “Nurses, midwives to prescribe abortions pills in Queensland.” The Australian, November 2023, https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/nurses-midwives-to-prescribe-abortion-pills-in-queensland/news-story/ffc8c15b61242a3aa7372693b9e1e48b
[viii] Eden Gillespie, “Queensland introduces Australian-first law to allow midwives and nurses to prescribe abortion pills.” The Guardian Australia, November 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/30/queensland-law-abortion-pills-midwives-nurses-prescribed-details#:~:text=Queensland%20will%20become%20Australia’s%20first,state’s%20%E2%80%9Chuge%20abortion%20deserts%E2%80%9D.