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For information about contraception, pregnancy options and sexual health in Victoria

Rural + Regional Communities

If you live in rural and regional Victoria, it can sometimes be hard to access sexual and reproductive health care.

This can be due to a range of factors including:

Lack of local services and supports
Limited choice in health care providers
Issues of privacy and anonymity in small towns
Lack of public transport
High cost of services
Social and physical isolation

Many rural and regional services, however, are very aware of the challenges women living in their communities face and will try their best to meet your needs. For example, some services may have same-day appointments for rural patients or telehealth options.

Rural and regional abortion services

If you are seeking an abortion and are 12+ weeks pregnant you will need to travel to Melbourne, as most rural and regional based abortion services currently have a 12 week limit.

If you are earlier than 12 weeks pregnant, there are GP services, hospitals and private clinics which can provide medication and surgical abortion services.

Finding a service near you

If you are finding it difficult to locate sexual and reproductive health services in rural or regional Victoria, 1800 My Options can help.

Contact us on 1800 696 784 (Weekdays 9am – 5pm), or email info@1800myoptions.org.au

More information:

TestMe
TESTme is a free service of Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) for rural Victorians aged 25 years and younger, rural Victorian men who have sex with men and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It offers self-testing kits for chlamydia and gonorrhea, which will be posted to you.
Thorne Harbour Country
Thorne Harbour Country provides support, counselling, rapid HIV testing, resources and information around LGBTQIA+ wellbeing, HIV, Hepatitis C and sexual health across the Loddon Mallee. It provides a safe place for the LGBTQIA+ community to connect and access information, resources and referrals.
Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health (CERSH)
Programs, resources and training for workers across the Hume and Loddon Mallee region.
SHOUT Rural – Sexual Health Out and About
Provides resources to assist workers in rural/regional Victoria who engage with young people. Seeks to promote positive sexual health messages, improve access to condoms and encourage regular STI testing.

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We provide information on sexual and reproductive health services in Victoria.

The information on this website should not be treated as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and should not be taken as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified medical practitioner. Please speak to a qualified medical practitioner if you are considering an abortion, or if you have any questions relating to information provided on this website.

1800 My Options acknowledges and pays our respects to the Traditional Custodians of the land that we are situated on, the peoples of the Kulin Nation. As a statewide service, we also acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters across Victoria. We pay our respects to them, their cultures and their Elders past and present. We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded and that we are beneficiaries of stolen land and dispossession, which began over 200 years ago and continues today.

1800 My Options is a service of Women’s Health Victoria, supported by the Victorian Government.

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