The ACT government is reviewing barriers women may be facing when trying to access abortion services in Canberra.
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It's part of a wider review into sexual and reproductive health services the government expects to be completed by mid-2018.
Health minister Meegan Fitzharris is hoping ACT Health and the Women's Centre for Health Matters (WCHM) will be able to provide a clearer picture of barriers Canberra women face when accessing abortion services.
"It's really important to me that women in Canberra can access the services they need and, if there are barriers, removing those barriers or at least minimising them," Ms Fitzharris said.
Ms Fitzharris said she would consider looking into lowering costs of termination services, which currently cost about $500, as well as working to prevent unplanned pregnancies.
"We do know for all women that is a very big decision to access abortion services. If we can help women prevent having to make that really tough decision then that's a better approach in the end," she said.
The women's health centre is conducting a confidential sexual health survey which is available online at wchm.org.au/sexual-reproductive-health-survey with submissions closing on Friday.
Responding to calls to open Canberra's hospitals to abortion services, Ms Fitzharris expressed concern on how discrete a hospital environment could be.
"In fact it may be the case women don't want to access abortion services in a hospital setting. Hospitals are big and busy places," she said.
The ACT's exclusion zone laws, which barred protests outside Canberra's abortion clinics, would also be hard to enforce at a hospital.
"On the face of it an exclusion zone around the hospital is extremely, practically difficult because you have faith based services. You have the ability for people – rightly – to access reflective prayer rooms in a hospital setting," Ms Fitzharris said.
Canberra's hospitals can currently provide abortion services beyond 12 weeks if there's a serious risk to the health of the woman or baby.
The consultation comes as service provider Marie Stopes looks to establish a fund to help women unable to afford abortion or contraception services.
Women's health experts in Canberra have said the fund is urgently needed in the capital.
"That will be one of the options for us to have a look at [reducing cost], but for some women that may not be the barrier, it might be something else," Ms Fitzharris said.
The review will also include looking at the work around preventing sexually transmitted infections in both young men and women in Canberra.
