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These resources were developed in 2022 in collaboration with WWILD Sexual Violence Prevention and with funding from 100 Women. They were co-designed with a group of incredibly women with intellectual and learning disabilities and difficulties, and informed by consultation with key stakeholders from violence, disability and health-related services. Children by Choice and WWILD would like to thank all the women and professionals who supported this project, offering their time, expertise and experiences to support the development of this suite of resources. People with intellectual disabilities have been found to have lower levels of sexual and reproductive health literacy and face poorer health outcomes, including a lack of informed decision making (autonomy). Professionals working with clients with disabilities report a lack of confidence in communicating effectively with these clients and are often found to communicate primarily with carers or family members, making patients with intellectual disabilities feel unseen and unsupported. Thus, these 4 documents were specifically designed for use by professionals working with women with intellectual and learning disabilities and difficulties. We hope they will support professionals (you, perhaps) to have empowering and clear conversations about key reproductive health and rights issues with clients who may have comprehension or communication challenges. We hope professionals will have time to work through the books with their clients, expanding on the topics covered and answering questions in real time. For example, conversations about contraception may require discussions about side-effects, which aren’t covered in the resource. That said, if it isn’t possible to work through the booklets with your clients, or if you’re sharing them more widely, we ask you to consider accompanying them with information about locally relevant and accessible services. We hope you find them useful in your practice and would warmly welcome any feedback you have about how they are working for you and your patients. Please email [email protected] with any questions or feedback you have.

Before we jump into our training, we would first like to acknowledge First Nation Australians whose land we reside and work on. ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE ABORIGINAL LAND Women’s Health Tasmania acknowledges the traditional owners of the country throughout Tasmania and their continued connection to land and community. We recognise the two separate cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Women’s Health Tasmania recognises the dispossession of land and its ongoing effects on Aboriginal peoples today. We acknowledge the sorrow of the Stolen Generations and apologise for the removal of children by white Australians.

Before we jump into our training we would first like to acknowledge First Nation Australians whose land we reside and work on. ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE ABORIGINAL LAND Children by Choice acknowledge the traditional owners of country throughout Queensland and their continued connection to land and community. We recognise the two separate cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Children by Choice recognises the dispossession of land and its ongoing effects on Aboriginal peoples today. We acknowledge the sorrow of the Stolen Generations and apologise for the removal of children by white Australians.

There are a range of tests and screenings that you might be offered at different stages through your pregnancy. These are sometimes called antenatal tests, and sometimes called prenatal tests or screenings. These tests are performed to monitor the health and development of the fetus in utero, and can help detect any problems during it’s development. There are some that are routinely offered, and additional tests that some women may choose to utilise.

Children by Choice is a free and confidential service and our counsellors support people to explore their options

The method you choose might be influenced by a variety of things, including your general health, your lifestyle, your childbearing intentions, your risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection, whether you’re living with any intolerances or allergies, and others.

It is estimated that half of all pregnancies in Australia are unplanned and that half of those are terminated [1]; also that between one quarter and one third of Australian women will experience an abortion in their lifetime [2].

In Australia, where abortions are performed by highly qualified health care professionals in very hygenic conditions, a pregnancy termination is one of the safest medical procedures and complications are rare.

In the early 1970s Queensland women had very limited access to contraceptive and abortion services.