Australians seeking pregnancy counselling report coercive pressure as poll shows support for abortion care

Research says 15% of people seeking counselling after unplanned pregnancies experience behaviour that interferes with their own decisions

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Fifteen percent of clients seeking pregnancy counselling have been subjected to reproduction coercion and abuse (RCA)", a study has found, as new polling suggests a majority of Australian voters want governments to take action to address barriers to accessing abortion care.

The new article, published in the journal Reproductive Health, says the 15% of people seeking pregnancy counselling after unplanned pregnancies were subjected to either pregnancy preventing" or pregnancy promoting" behaviour. The article defines RCA as behaviour that interferes with a person's decision to become pregnant or to continue the pregnancy".

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