Improve Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health


Women, girls and gender diverse people have a right to optimal sexual and reproductive health.

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is an important health issue for women, girls and gender diverse people in the region. SRH has a significant impact on a person’s physical and mental health, and their emotional and social wellbeing. Optimal sexual and reproductive health is about much more than the absence of disease. It’s about wellbeing, respect and freedom from discrimination and violence. Optimal sexual and reproductive health outcomes require access to accurate, evidence- and rights-based information and safe, effective, timely and affordable health services. It also requires health promotion efforts that address the gender inequality that underpins poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes.

Sexual and reproductive health is both affected by, and contributes to, gender equity. Expanding and protecting women’s autonomy, control and choice over their sexual and reproductive health is a key component of advancing gender equity. Advancing gender equity, by increasing women’s access to social, economic, political and cultural resources and power also reduces barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare and improving outcomes.


Relevant Victorian Government documents

Relevant Federal Government documents

Women’s Health East’s Work in Sexual and Reproductive Health


SRHME Partnership – Sexual and Reproductive Health in Melbourne’s East

Women’s Health East leads the SRHME Partnership (previously called the “SRG”). This is a regional working group of partner organisations that meet quarterly via Zoom. This group works collectively to improve the SRH outcomes of girls, women (cis and trans), and gender diverse people in Melbourne’s East. No special SRH experience or role is necessary; members need only to have an interest in improving sexual and reproductive health equity in Melbourne’s East. We welcome both regular and occasional attendees from both Eastern Melbourne and statewide organisations. You can read the Terms of Reference (2024) here. For more information on joining the SRHME partnership, please contact Ada Castle, Health Promotion Coordinator at acastle@whe.org.au


Eastern SRH updates newsletter

WHE writes an irregular newsletter with updates at least monthly. This informs readers of upcoming professional development opportunities, events and sector updates relating to SRH in the East. Join below with option to unsubscribe at any time


A Strategy for Equality: Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health in Melbourne’s East 2020 – 2025

Women’s Health East has developed and published a regional strategy for women’s sexual and reproductive health in consultation with a wide variety of organisations from across the sector, including members of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategic Reference Group led by Women’s Health East. A Strategy for Equality and the Background Paper identify key SRH priorities and priority populations in Melbourne’s Eastern suburbs and articulate a framework for improving women’s SRH through enhancing equity, increasing access to key services and improving the capability of the healthcare system to address women’s SRH. The Strategy for Equality: Action Plan 2021-2023 has been developed to operationalise the framework articulated in The Strategy and outline the collective actions that will be undertaken by the Eastern Metropolitan Region Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategic Reference Group to improve the SRH of women, trans men, non-binary and gender diverse people across the EMR for the next two years.

Download A Strategy for Equality here.

Download the Background Paper here.

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Download the Action Plan 2021-2023 here.

Reproductive healthcare in the Melbourne’s East

Women’s Health East is committed to improving access to comprehensive reproductive health services in the East.  This includes increasing choice and service access for women, girls and gender diverse people, and educating the community about their health, their choices and their rights.

In Victoria, both medical and surgical abortions are available. These are legal, common and safe.

To find comprehensive information regarding abortion please visit the Better Health Channel.

To view a map of abortion providers in Victoria, or to find your closest abortion provider, visit 1800 My Options or call 1800 696 784. In Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, early medication abortion providers include EACH and Sexual Health Victoria, alongside many GP clinics. Surgical abortions can be accessed at Eastern Health as of late 2023.

Service providers can find information on all components of abortion service training and provision in our Early Medical Abortion Resource Kit (June 2023).

We highly recommend clinicians considering providing early medication abortion services to register with AUSCAPPS and engage with their wealth of free resources, information and training.

For more information on sexual and reproductive health search our Resources section, using the topic: Sexual & Reproductive Health.