Certain MPs in South Australia are taking advantage of the devastating impact of the COVID-19 health pandemic  to include telehealth legislation on an abortion drug know as RU486 that could be ordered and delivered through the mail without in person consultation. Women's reproductive health should not be a mail order commodity, posing grave danger to them.

The COVID-19 response from the South Australian Government has given emergency powers to the South Australian Police Commissioner (State Coordinator) to make decisions for South Australian's during this health crisis.

In a blatant attempt to bypass our parliamentary system, the rights of other MPs to a conscience vote and the vitally important input of medical and health professionals, they have proposed that the State Coordinator override existing abortion laws and sanction the distribution of abortion pills online via Telehealth. This is presented in the guise of protecting women from having to risk visiting a doctor at this time in order to obtain the necessary medications.

We the undersigned call upon the State Coordinator to reject the proposal to allow the distribution of Early Medical Abortion (EMA) via telehealth for the following reasons:

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)  product information on RU486 (MS-2 Step) eliminates this drug from being used in a telehealth setting.

TGA Guidelines for use of RU486:

·         Pre-treatment ultrasounds and blood tests are mandatory before administration of medical abortion pills (RU486).

·         MS-2 Step (RU486) has high complication rate.

(Pregnancy Outcome in SA 2016 stats: Almost 1 in 10 (9.8%) woman experienced a complication. 86% of these required a subsequent surgical procedure)

·         MS-2 Step is dangerous to take away from emergency health care. The Product Information states: […'until follow-up has taken place, the woman remains close to a facility where she can be treated at any moment in case of severe or prolonged bleeding. Refer to Special Warnings and Precautions for Use]  

Further concerns surrounding telehealth:

·         Domestic violence is a very real concern with telehealth as a woman could be forced to go online and order abortion pills to terminate a pregnancy that she actually wants. At home she is alone and defenceless with this person. Coercion cannot possibly be identified.

·         This is NOT ‘emergency’ health care, there is no risk to health that would require utilising much needed PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), medical equipment and facilities TO SAVE LIVES from COVID-19. 

·         All abortion law reforms are treated as a conscience issue by both major parties, and this should not be bypassed.

·         No changes to abortion laws should be made unless all of the relevant medical information, research, statistics and implications to womens' health can be investigated, discussed and decided upon by our elected parliamentarians.

.         Ingesting abortion drugs remotely and without ready access to hospitals some women may die, as one did in 2013: the patient developed sepsis with acute renal failure and died 12 days after taking the medication. Source: Australian Public Assessment Report for mifepristone/misoprostol - Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA Report) 2014- page 12; see https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/auspar-mifepristone-misoprostol-141013.pdf 

·         This is a global pandemic with thousands of lives at risk, and no other actual health-threatening issues are being given this kind of exceptional consideration.