International student Rylee experienced weeks of stress and fear after she had unprotected sex and realised her period was late.
The Canberra University student from Canada began to research what her options would be to terminate an unplanned pregnancy in the nation's capital in 2020.
However, she said she was horrified after discovering nothing but "confusing and often contradictory" information.
She was also shocked when she learned how much it would cost, she said in a submission to an ACT Legislative Assembly inquiry into abortion services in the Canberra region.
"I don't think the punishment for making the wrong decision after several drinks at Mooseheads is to have to spend thousands of dollars on an abortion," she said.
She told the inquiry committee that some international students have had to put a halt to their studies to fly home for abortions, due to the cost.
Rylee said she was relieved that others would not face the same distress after the ACT Government committed to fund free abortions in Canberra from mid-2023.
In another submission to the inquiry, Canberra woman Tamara said that when she suffered a miscarriage, she needed treatment to remove the remaining tissue from her uterus due to the risk of infection.
She said she tried to access care at the Canberra Hospital but was confronted with a waiting list spanning several months.
She also found she could not go to Calvary Hospital in Bruce because of that institution's religious objections to some procedures.
She ended up spending more than $1,000 to be treated at a private hospital.
If you know more about this story, email roy.tahlia@abc.net.au.
Few options for those seeking abortion in the ACT
Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT has estimated that approximately 200,000 unplanned pregnancies occur in Australia each year, with one in three women having had at least one abortion in their lifetime.
Medical abortions are available in Australia for pregnancies under nine weeks, involving a combination of medications to induce termination.
According to healthcare experts, the procedure has a high success rate with a very low risk of complications, but it involves some pain and bleeding.
Surgical abortions can be performed by a doctor and anaesthetist in a simple surgery that involves inserting a tube into the uterus and removing tissue with suction.
Those up to 16 weeks gestation can access this option.
There are just three places to access abortion in the Canberra region, Marie Stopes Australia in the ACT, Gynaecology Centres Australia in Queanbeyan, and the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit is run by Canberra Health Services.
But the inquiry, held on Friday, found that many women do not know their general practitioner could also be an option.
The inquiry heard that many of those seeking to terminate a pregnancy found it difficult to access the service.
Canberra GP Melanie Dorrington has been trained to help women with early medical abortions, but over three years, she has seen fewer than 100 patients.
She said she believed there was a dire lack of access — and even less understanding of options, with few people realising some GPs are trained to deliver the healthcare.
"There are also no clear pathways to assist someone seeking termination beyond nine weeks' gestation who cannot access surgical termination … due to cost, gestation or anaesthetic risk," she said.
"And, actually finding out this information and where you can go for either a medical or surgical termination can be quite limited."
Minority groups face additional barriers
Dr Dorrington said that migrant and Indigenous Australian women faced additional challenges.
"First Nations people have additional barriers and face additional issues in relation to reproductive autonomy — from the impact of intergenerational trauma of stolen generations, institutional child abuse, rape of First Nations women, forced sterilisation and experimental contraception," she said.
Dr Dorrington said some GPs who were trained to offer early medical abortions do not have that information on their web pages "because of fear of stigma and repercussions from the community".
"There are medical professionals who have suffered threatening behaviour from members of the community due to providing [abortions]."
Dr Dorrington said another problem was that doctors who were conscientious objectors to abortion were not required to refer patients to other providers in the ACT, as they would have to do in other jurisdictions.
The inquiry also heard that safe access zones in Canberra, where people cannot protest outside abortion clinics, only covered 50 metres, compared to 150 metres in most other parts of the country.
Dr Dorrington said given the barriers in place, she feared many were not getting the help they needed.
She said there were a range of reasons women sought abortions, including contraceptive failures, complications, financial insecurity, domestic violence and rape.
"But, what I don't know about are the pregnant people who don't make it through the door," she said.
Members of the inquiry will deliver their recommendations to the ACT Government.
