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Media Release
RU4 Choice? Launch of www.ru4choice.com
“All of us, from the eminent to the not so eminent, have a place to voice our support for RU486.”
31 January 2006
“…a medical rather than an ethical decision…” Pru Goward
“Unless the TGA can find a good reason to prohibit the accessibility of RU486, I believe it should be available under medical supervision …." Ita Buttrose
“… not appropriate for these issues to be exploited by politicians ….” Wendy McCarthy
Sign up from noon today, Tuesday 31 January, at www.ru4choice.com
“We want the voices of the majority of Australians to be heard,” says Medical Director, Sexual Health & Family Planning Australia, (SH&FPA), Dr Christine Read.
“www.ru4choice.com is an online petition, where Australians can call on the Government to return responsibility for approval of RU486 (which can be used for medical abortion), to the medical and scientific experts at the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)”, explains Dr Read.
An amendment is before the Senate, which would return responsibility for approving the use of RU486 in Australia to the TGA. The TGA approves all other drugs in Australia but in the case of RU486, final approval has been removed from the experts and granted to the Minister for Health, Tony Abbott.
A conscience vote on the issue is planned for Thursday, February 9.
Eminent supporters for RU4Choice include -
Publisher and Editor, Ita Buttrose, AO, OBE; Pru Goward, Commissioner Sex Discrimination, writer Faith Bandler, AM; long term campaigner for women’s and children’s rights, Wendy McCarthy AO; and Dr Stefania Siedlecky AM who has been an advisor to the Government and to UNFPA on family planning and founder of NAPCAN, the leading association for the prevention of child abuse, Rosemary Sinclair AO.
“These remarkable women show the breadth of support for returning approval for drugs like RU486 to the TGA. This is a health issue and should be dealt with by health experts,” says Dr Read.
In support of the amendment and for www.ru4hoice.com
The Federal Commissioner for Sex Discrimination, Pru Goward says “the legality of RU 486 is a health issue, not a moral one. So long as abortion is legal in certain circumstances then the use of RU 486 is a medical rather than an ethical decision”.
Ita Buttrose – “History tells us that there will always be a need for women to have abortions for any number of reasons. Overseas experience shows that RU486 has proven to be an useful drug and a safe, effective alternative to surgical abortion. The decision or not to allow it to be available in Australia should not be responsibility of the Federal Health Minister whoever this person might be. This decision should be made by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) who are paid to do this job for the citizens - and taxpayers - of Australia.
Unless the TGA can find a good reason to prohibit the accessibility of RU486 I believe it should be
available, under medical supervision, to all women who need it.”
Wendy McCarthy -“ Thirty years on, the decision of whether to terminate an unplanned pregnancy, and by what means, belongs in a private conversation between a woman, her doctor and if there is one, her partner. It is not appropriate for these issues to be exploited by politicians, or dependant on the whim of any particular Minister, at any given time.”
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Dr Read explains, “SH&FPA has carefully examined the research. RU486 is used in 35 countries throughout the world. It is safe and effective. There has been a storm of misinformation around the issue. By presenting the facts and giving all of us in Australia the opportunity to be heard, www.ru4choice.com is an important contribution to our democracy”.
The Senate is currently conducting hearings on the amendment. Internationally-renowned family planning researcher, Dr Edith Weisberg AM will give evidence on behalf of SH&FPA in Sydney on Monday 6 February.