by Jasmine Davis
22 September 2025

When I first entered medical school and heard the term “conscientious objection”, I was slightly confused. Having been a war history enthusiast in high school, a conscientious objector to me had always been associated with individuals refusing military service.

I quickly learned from ethics tutorials in medical school that the term had moved from the battlefields to our hospitals. In the context of reproductive healthcare (most often abortion), and now voluntary assisted dying (VAD), conscientious objection occurs when a doctor or other healthcare provider refuses to participate in these practices due to ethical, moral or philosophical beliefs.

…Within the medical profession, there is broad acceptance that individual practitioners who conscientiously object to abortion or VAD should not be forced to provide these services. However, despite legal safeguards, research I conducted at The University of Melbourne found that conscientious objection can still limit access for patients in Australia and globally.

Whilst conducting this research, I came across an unexpected finding. It is not only individual practitioners that are refusing to participate in providing abortion, but it is whole institutions.

Continued at Insight+