Community
27 March, 2026
Report detailing women’s health access launched
MORE support during pregnancy and following birth and more local women’s health care were among the main concerns for Corangamite residents in a report launched last week.
Women’s Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West (WHWBSW) launched their report ‘From Both Sides of the Door’ into access gaps for women and gender diverse people seeking healthcare in the Barwon South West on Tuesday.
The report draws insights from surveys, focus groups and interviews with over 450 community members from across the region – including the Corangamite Shire local government area (LGA) – as well as with healthcare providers in the sector.
Twenty-seven women in the Corangamite area responded to the survey which formed the report, with 34 per cent of women unsure where to access support for a chronic sexual and reproductive health condition.
Meanwhile, 46 per cent of women didn’t know where to access menopause support and half of the respondents were unsure where to access services for termination of pregnancy.
Statistics for contraception and birthing were also low, with nine in 1000 Corangamite women having a medical abortion and a similar proportion having had a contraceptive implant procedure.
Of the single parents in Corangamite, 76 per cent were women, and four in 1000 women who gave birth were under the age of 20.
Intrauterine devices (IUDs) were accessed by 10 in 1000 Corangamite women.
“Access to safe, respectful and affordable care, including sexual and reproductive healthcare, is critical to women and gender diverse people living healthy, empowered lives,” WHWBSW chief executive officer Jodie Hill said.
“Unfortunately, this type of care is not always accessible in the Barwon South West.”
The report identified barriers encountered by people when seeking care including limited access to menopause and perimenopause information, inadequate access to mental health support and physiotherapy during pregnancy and after the birth of a baby and experiences of pain being dismissed or minimised by healthcare professionals.
Another key issue identified in the report was access to experts in women’s healthcare, with many forced to travel to Warrnambool or Geelong to see a specialist.
The longest average travel time reported was 51 minutes to access pelvic floor physiotherapy, while reproductive endocrinology and infertility (48 minutes) and lactation support (47 minutes) also reported long average travel times.
Only sexual and reproductive health pharmacy services and maternal child health services experienced a low average travel time in the Corangamite LGA with six minutes.
This was reflected in the statistics, with one in 1000 Corangamite women hospitalised with endometriosis in 2022 while 2024 saw 19 women testing positive to chlamydia in the Corangamite LGA.
The report made a series of recommendations for action by all levels of government and the healthcare sector.
“This report really centres the experiences of women and gender diverse people in our community,” Ms Hill said.
“It also highlights the challenges faced by the wonderful healthcare professionals delivering care.
“From Both Sides of the Door includes a set of tangible actions needed to improve access to critical sexual and reproductive healthcare in the Barwon South West, and we will advocate with all levels of government, and the healthcare sector, to see those happen.”
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