EPLC helps shape Abortion Care Guidelines
In a significant step for pregnancy care in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, the Early Pregnancy Loss Coalition (EPLC) has played a role in the latest updates to the Clinical Guideline for Abortion Care. This is the first bi-national guideline.
This follows a comprehensive submission to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) during their August 2023 consultation.
The purpose of the guidelines, as RANZCOG states, is “to provide evidence-based recommendations to registered health professionals who provide advice and abortion care in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.”
All feedback received through the consultation exercise was presented to the Guideline Development Group and subsequently shared with the Women’s Health Committee.
The EPLC is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to these guidelines, and thanks RANZCOG for its work in updating this document to enhance care provided to individuals and their families.
The EPLC's 19-page response, aligned with its mission and core goals, has been used in guiding revisions in the guideline.
Key recommendations made by EPLC and taken up by RANZCOG:
Additional context in the foreword and introduction addresses the diverse reasons for considering an abortion, promoting a more comprehensive understanding of an individual’s circumstances and needs. Our engagement with birthing people also indicates that even those who seek abortion for reasons other than termination for medical reasons often experience an emotional response including grief for the loss of their baby, that requires support in addition to clinical care.
For clarity, in Section 6.2 the term "quality of evidence" has been replaced with "certainty of evidence.”
The replacement of the clinical term "products of conception" with "pregnancy tissue.” Our research and feedback from our community indicates that this term is upsetting for many birthing people and bereaved families, and that terminology such as “pregnancy tissue” is preferred. This is a major step forward in addressing inappropriate and insensitive medical terminology often used in clinical care, and providing validation for families.
Access the Clinical Guideline for Abortion Care here and the accompanying decision aid.
The Early Pregnancy Loss Coalition was founded in 2023 by author and journalist Isabelle Oderberg (Hard to Bear), Miscarriage Australia co-founder Dr Jade Bilardi (Monash University) and Associate Professor Melanie Keep (The University of Sydney).
Our Mission is to advocate for improved care and support for people affected by early pregnancy loss (miscarriage) and their families.
The Coalition is structured to ensure representation across all sectors and organisations with an interest in miscarriage care including pregnancy loss support organisations, medical professionals, researchers and academics, allied health professionals, mental health workers, economists, health policy experts and those with lived experience.
The EPLC provides a collective voice to the government and advocates for critical changes needed to address the current gaps in patient care, support and funding in Australia.
Looking ahead, the EPLC remains committed to advocating for policies and practices that close the current gaps in patient care, support, and funding in Australia, setting a precedent for patient-centered care in reproductive health.