The Australian government is investing more than $160 million in a tailored women’s health package to tackle gender bias in the health system, upskill medical professionals and improve sexual and reproductive care.
 
The 2024-25 Budget delivers $5.2 million for scholarships and to cover travel costs so that healthcare professionals – including doctors, nurses and midwives – can do training in the insertion and removal of Long Acting Reversible Contraception; $1.1 million to develop an online contraception decision-making tool for women and health practitioners; and $5.5 million to fund the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare to develop a national sexual and reproductive health dataset. It will identify changing women’s health care needs across all stages of their lives, explore equity in care, and identify groups needing additional support.

The temporary Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) telehealth items for blood borne viruses and sexual and reproductive health will be made permanent, which will improve access to care, particularly for women in regional and remote communities.

Funding of $5.6 million will be delivered to the Health in My Language programme to enable culturally and linguistically communities to break down barriers to receive sexual and reproductive healthcare. A $1.2 million investment will mean women going through menopause will get better treatment as more healthcare professionals can access training on menopause.