Wake up, they’re trying to take our body rights away again, writes CityMag's resident sexologist Jamie Bucirde.

When I woke up on the morning of September 23, I felt good. I felt free, I felt safe and as a woman, I felt in control of my own body. Little did I know that later that day a male SA politician was about to put forward legislation to take away a womans’ right to make decisions about her own body. Again.

When the US overturned Roe vs Wade in 2022, ending the Constitutional right to abortion, we saw anti-abortion rulings take over the country. It seemed more like an episode of A Handmaid’s Tale rather than real life. Equal rights activists and feminists exploded as a reaction, with protests happening all over the world, including in Adelaide. That would never happen here, I naively and ignorantly told myself, watching American politics unfold from the comfort of my own home.

In 2024, when political polarities seem to be pushing us further in one direction or the other, it feels more extreme than ever. It is quite ignorant to think that US politics and wannabe dictators like Trump don’t influence Australian politics. When Australian politicians see US politicians controlling womens’ bodies, you better believe it will influence their capability to try it here.

On Monday morning of last week Ben Hood, a Liberal member of the Legislative Council of SA, announced he would be tabling a Private Members Bill on Wednesday September 25. That bill was the Termination of Pregnancy (Termination of live births) Amendment Bill 2024.

The proposed changes? That women seeking to have an abortion after 27 weeks and 6 days would be forced to be induced and delivered in a live birth. You heard it right, a forced live birth.

His proposed bill included that the child involved in the forced birth would then be offered up by adoption or kept by the pregnant person.

Let me explain why this is extremely problematic in multiple ways.

A refresher on abortion rights in SA

Abortion was decriminalised in SA in 2021, coming into effect in 2022. Abortions are available up to 22 weeks and 6 days with most procedures actually happening within the first trimester (up to 14 weeks). There are currently about 150 safe access zones where this procedure is offered and in SA it is free (a luxury not all Australian states have).  For an abortion to happen after that, there are specific requirements.

Two doctors must agree that:

1. The termination is necessary to save the life of the pregnant person or save another fetus or;

2. that continuing the pregnancy would involve risking the physical or mental health of the pregnant person. 

Let’s also be reminded that Ben Hood is not a doctor, not a nurse and has no medical background. His current role includes being Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, regional roads, government accountability and an MP. Stop me if you see a trained abortion expert here.

Why are we letting medically uneducated men still make decisions about womens’ bodies in 2024? With all due respect, if you aren’t a trained doctor or nurse in neonatal care and don’t have your own uterus, stay out of my uterus. 

This opens darker doors for future legislation

This regression risks undermining decades of progress in reproductive health and rights, endangering the wellbeing of thousands of women, girls, and others who can become pregnant, both in Australia and worldwide. It’s a slippery and dangerous slope.

This puts a woman’s life at risk

The percentage of people seeking a termination after 22 weeks is small, and most likely involves an intersection of medical, social and mental health factors. 

Forced birth can pose severe risks for pregnant individuals, both physically and emotionally. Maternal mortality rates have worsened, including an alarming rise in deaths due to violence during pregnancy. This tells us that forced pregnancy can endanger lives by exacerbating existing health conditions which can lead to life threatening complications such as haemorrhage or preeclampsia. On top of that, forcing someone to carry an unwanted or dangerous pregnancy can cause extreme emotional distress, compounding the trauma when the pregnancy presents a life or death scenario. 

In parallel, a 2015 study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies also found a strong link between unintended pregnancies and domestic violence. Abusive partners were reported to exert control over women’s reproductive choices through methods like rape, sabotaging contraception, and blocking access to abortions. This highlights how reproductive rights are often intertwined with issues of coercion and abuse, adding urgency to ensuring safe and accessible abortion services.

While Ben Hood’s bill claims to protect viable unborn children, the suggestion that this is a ‘compassionate’ approach ignores that late term abortions are often performed due to serious medical, social, or mental health concerns.

Framing the bill as a way to protect viable fetuses undermines the complexity of those situations and of the person pregnant entirely. The bill also argues the viability of a fetus at 28 weeks but ignores the fact that many late term abortions occur due to conditions where the fetus, despite being ‘viable’ by gestational age, would not survive long post birth or would endure significant suffering. Medical ethics, in many cases, support termination to prevent unnecessary suffering for both the mother and the fetus. 

Hood’s bill also says that ‘in the case of a baby not being compatible with life after 27 weeks and 6 days, the child would be birthed alive and given neonatal palliative care and made comfortable before death (this can involve morphine on the lips and other methods of pain relief)’.

Forcing women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term not only undermines personal autonomy but also leads to a significant waste of healthcare resources. It demands that nurses and medical staff dedicate time, energy, and attention to pregnancies that were not wanted in the first place, ultimately diverting these crucial resources from patients with critical needs. Shall I remind you of our ramping crisis?

Additionally, the financial costs associated with prenatal care, childbirth, and long term support for both the mother and child can strain an already overburdened healthcare system, all while failing to address the underlying issues of reproductive choice.

I’d also like to mention that Hood and his party continuously mention ‘feticide’, a term which refers to the intentional termination of a fetus during a pregnancy, usually performed during the later stages for medical reasons. The bill portrays feticide in graphic and violent terms, but fails to address that this is a medically accepted procedure that minimises suffering in circumstances of severe fetal abnormality or maternal health risk. This fearmongering language aims to sway emotions rather than reflect medical necessity and current research. 

So now what?

As we confront renewed efforts to strip away abortion rights, it’s essential to remember that we, as a collective, have the power to shape the future. Voting isn’t just a right, it’s a responsibility. Ensure you’re registered and ready to vote for candidates who support reproductive freedom.

Take action by voicing your stance to MPs and Senators through letters, social media, or petitions. Follow organisations like the South Australian Abortion Action Coalition to stay informed and united. Empower each other, support healthcare workers, and be relentless in defending bodily autonomy.

This fight for reproductive rights goes beyond policy, it’s a fight for freedom, autonomy, and dignity. 

Forcing women to bear unwanted children is not only an infringement on their rights but also a strain on healthcare resources, taking away energy, time, and care from those who need it.

We must remain vigilant, mobilise, and support one another to ensure that reproductive choices stay in the hands of those most affected.

Look after yourselves, focus on positive political action and remember that abortion is healthcare.