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By national regional affairs reporter Lucy Barbour and Cath McAloon of ABC
A new report has found many women employed in Australia through the PALM migrant worker scheme are not getting appropriate information and affordable access to sexual health services.
The research highlights issues with access to contraception, antenatal care, abortion, STI screening and treatment as well as workers experiencing coercion, discrimination and gender-based violence.
The Australian Women's Health Alliance is calling for urgent action to address the health needs of PALM scheme workers.
An Australian researcher has uncovered shocking accounts of workers employed on temporary visas hiding pregnancies, attempting home terminations, or spending thousands of dollars to access abortions.
Australian National University's Lindy Kanan has been investigating the experiences of workers from Pacific Island countries and Timor Leste employed in Australia under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme (known as PALM).
Ms Kanan, a senior research officer, conducted dozens of interviews with PALM workers, employers and service providers about experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, contraception and sexual and gender-based violence.
The final report, titled "It's not illegal to be pregnant", has outlined systemic issues as well as incidents of PALM participants facing discrimination, coercion, hardship, harassment, assault and difficulty accessing appropriate and affordable health care.
Ms Kanan was shocked to hear stories of female workers attempting to terminate their own pregnancies.
When I asked more, I was told that people were drinking certain s
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