Australia to invest $106.5m for women's sexual and reproductive care

The investment will include $3.7m (A$5.5m) funding to develop a national sexual and reproductive health dataset.

The Australian government is set to invest over $106.5m (A$160m) in a tailored women’s health package to improve sexual and reproductive care, tackle gender bias, and upskill medical professionals.

According to the Ministry for Health and Aged Care, the initiative aligns with the National Women’s Health strategy and the Gender Equality strategy released earlier this year.

“There are many ways that gender bias creeps throughout our health care system. From lack of access to sexual and reproductive healthcare to disparities in costs faced by women,” Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney, said.

As part of the 2024-25 budget, the investment will include a $3.7m (A$5.5m) funding to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare to develop a national sexual and reproductive health dataset.

The dataset will identify women’s healthcare needs across different life stages, explore equity in care, and distinguish groups that need additional support.

Meanwhile, $3.5m (A$5.2m) will be allocated to scholarships and travel costs for healthcare professional training in the insertion and removal of long-acting reversible contraception.

Furthermore, $732,200 (A$1.1m) will be invested towards developing an online contraception decision-making tool for women and practitioners.

A$1 = $0.67