So-called Abortion Reversal is Dangerous

Media Release

by | 15 Dec, 2023 | Media Release

ALRANZ calls upon the New Zealand government to reject dangerous, unproven medical procedures purporting to reverse abortions.

In light of the new government’s uncertain approach to abortion care, ALRANZ seeks confirmation that calls from anti-abortion radicals in New Zealand for the health service to approve (and legitimise) so-called ‘abortion reversal’ will fall upon deaf ears.

ALRANZ executive committee member and board-certified Obstetrician Gynaecologist, Dr Dionne Mills-Sillik says, “There is no such thing as abortion reversal. If someone is pregnant and takes abortion inducing pills, we cannot stop the effects once it has already been ingested. Large doses of progesterone have not been proven to negate the effects of the mifepristone-misoprostol combination with enough consistency and safety to permit anyone to make such claims, and it is irresponsible, insensitive, and malicious to claim otherwise.”

Dr Helen Paterson, Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago, and Gynaecologist states, “It is dangerous and there is no evidence that it works. The data show that taking mifepristone followed by progesterone is associated with a significant increase in major bleeding requiring hospitalisation. There have been no high-quality studies showing this therapy is effective. Thus, as far as we know to date, this is high risk for no benefit. If someone does not want an abortion, they should not start an abortion process.”

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) and DECIDE.org provide clear information that abortions cannot be reversed and that this practice is not supported in New Zealand Aotearoa. There are also clear guidelines that are available to any member of the public through the Ministry of Health’s website if anyone chooses to look for them: New Zealand Aotearoa Abortion Clinical Guideline

 
ALRANZ trusts medical professionals and researchers, not ideologically motivated anti-choice, anti-abortion groups who have not provided any evidence to support the ‘abortion reversal’ protocol.

ALRANZ calls on the government to follow its own rhetoric and reject policies based on ideology in favour of policies supported by evidence-based, peer-reviewed science. 

ALRANZ supports rally for trans acceptance and reproductive rights

ALRANZ supports rally for trans acceptance and reproductive rights

by | 23 Mar, 2023 | Media Release

ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa stands in unwavering solidarity with Queer Endurance/Defiance, who are organizing the Rally for Trans Acceptance and Reproductive Rights  in Wellington on Sunday 26th March at 1.30pm.

 The rally responds to the speaking tour of anti-trans, anti-abortion and anti-contraception UK extremist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, known as Posie Parker. Immigration New Zealand is allowing Keen-Minshull to travel to New Zealand despite her links with white supremacists.  ALRANZ strongly condemns Keen-Minshull’s hateful and divisive views. Her extremist rhetoric aims to harm and marginalize individuals, particularly women and gender minorities, and restrict their access to vital reproductive healthcare.

 After a strong neo-nazi presence at Keen-Minshulls’ Hobart rally and her anti-trans hate speech, prime minister Chris Hipkins has condemned the use of free speech to incite hatred and violence. ALRANZ spokesperson Fleur Kelsey states “her anti-trans extremist hate speech is not welcome here and does not reflect the views of the majority of New Zealanders” and urges Immigration New Zealand to reconsider and deny Keen-Minshulls’ entry to Aotearoa immediately.

 ALRANZ is committed to upholding the rights of queer and trans people to gender affirming and reproductive healthcare which meets their needs. We urge supporters and allies to join in solidarity at this rally if you are able to. Together, we can drown out the voices of hate and bigotry and show support for the marginalized in our communities.

Anniversary of Safe Areas Bill’s Passage Passes with No Safe Areas

by | 19 Mar, 2023 | Media Release

Last Saturday 18 March, Aotearoa New Zealand marked the first anniversary of the passage of the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion (Safe Areas) Amendment Act 2022. ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa notes that in spite of the act, New Zealand has no safe areas.

 

The process to create a safe area is cumbersome and time-consuming. It requires months of work by the Ministry of Health to plot out the safe area and get it approved. After all that, the fate of a safe area is in the hands of Cabinet, which can move it forward or ignore it.

 

There are currently about a dozen safe area applications in the pipeline. Half are ready for Cabinet to consider.

 

People who receive or provide abortion care need safe areas yesterday. Every day, people have to walk by judgemental anti-abortion protesters with huge, misleading, gory signs in order to access safe, legal health care. 

 

ALRANZ president Dr Tracy Morison said, “Parliament passed the Safe Areas Bill because they saw the need for it. If there’s a need, and there definitely is, then the process for creating safe areas isn’t fit for purpose because not one safe area has been created to date.”

 

ALRANZ believes Cabinet needs to approve the safe areas applications as a matter of urgency, or admit the government got it wrong when they set out the requirements for creating safe areas.

Aotearoa New Zealand Celebrates Abortion Provider Appreciation Day 2023

Aotearoa New Zealand Celebrates Abortion Provider Appreciation Day 2023

by | 6 Mar, 2023 | Media Release

Today is the annual Abortion Provider Appreciation Day, created to recognise the vital role that abortion providers play in comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare. These healthcare providers work tirelessly to provide high-quality, compassionate patient care despite challenges, including stigma and harassment. This is a day to express gratitude for their part in providing essential health services and working against lingering stigma. 

 

“This year’s Abortion Provider Appreciation Day is particularly significant,” says ALRANZ president, Dr Tracy Morison, “It comes at a time when the need to protect access to safe and legal abortion care has never been more urgent. The erosion of abortion rights in countries like the United States reminds us of the fragility of our hard-won rights. We must not take them for granted!”

 

In Aotearoa New Zealand, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn, abortion providers have remained committed to providing safe and legal abortion care, even under difficult working conditions and in the face of renewed opposition from the small but vocal anti-abortion faction.

 

On Abortion Provider Appreciation Day, we want to show these dedicated healthcare workers how much we appreciate and respect what they do. We call on everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand to join us in honouring their work and standing with them in the face of any opposition they may encounter. ALRANZ is running a fundraiser to thank local service providers, those who wish to donate are directed to their  Givealittle page for details.

Together, we can ensure that everyone in the country has access to safe and legal abortion care.

Losing Our Religion

Losing Our Religion

by | 6 Dec, 2022 | Our Blog

by Craig Young

The Aotearoa/New Zealand anti-abortion movement still doesn’t get it. In the United States, there’s at least some semblance of ersatz pluralism, despite the fact that their movement is overwhelmingly dominated by conservative Catholics and fundamentalist Protestants. There are self-labelled anti-abortion “agnostics and atheists”, pseudofeminists, LGBTQI+ gtroups, scientists, pagans, medical practitioners, ad nauseum. This adds some unconvincing garnishing to the US anti-abortion movement. Some anti-abortion Orthodox Jews and Muslims are also involved in both Britain and the United States.

But in Aotearoa/New Zealand? Their movement is oblivious to the need to look secular in the context of plummeting Christian religious observance. There is only one Maori figure, Hilary Kieft, in Taranaki and no Maori organisations listed in the anti-abortion March for Life’s list of endorsers, which seem to consist entirely of fundamentalist Protestants and conservative Catholics- Couples for Christ, Family Life International NZ, Family First, Right to Life New Zealand, Voice for Life New Zealand, Jesus for NZ, Promise Keepers, John Paul II Centre for Life, NZ Catholic Bishops Conference, (fundamentalist) NZ Christian Network, and the Executive Presbytery of the Assemblies of God. Notice something? Well, for starters, there are no mainline Protestants, no-one from other faith groups, no self-professed atheists or agnostics, no anti-abortion womens groups, and no medical or scientific organisations whatsoever. Proof, if anyone ever needed it, that the New Zealand/Aotearoa anti-abortion movement is almost wholly pakeha and conservative Christian. And they’re certainly not out there to win friends and influence people- Family First’s Bob McCoskrie dislikes progressive Christians, Voice for Life doesn’t even pretend to be politically nonpartisan anymore, and McCoskrie also thinks the anti-abortion movement needs more men.

We should be happy at this outcome. If they carry on this way, they will be unable to deal with either side of Aotearoa/New Zealand politics, with Labour and the Greens already uninclined to listen to them due to their blatant partisan bias and National and ACT trying to distance themselves from an unpopular extremist movement.  The New Conservatives, One Party and Vision New Zealand might make occasional anti-abortion noises, but they’re more obsessed with the anti-vaccination movement than with other fringe opponents of reproductive freedom and LGBTQI issues.