AusCAPPS (The Australian Contraception and Abortion Primary Care Practitioner Support Network) empowers Australia's primary care workforce to deliver best practice, evidence-based care to women of reproductive age who are trying to prevent or manage an unintended pregnancy.

The project will increase the availability of long acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods (i.e. intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants) and access to safe, affordable early medical abortion (EMA), including for women from the most vulnerable populations.

LARC utilisation rates by Australian women remains very low, despite guidelines recommending increased use. Expanding the numbers of primary care practitioners willing to provide EMA  (using mifepristone followed by misoprostol to end an early pregnancy up to 9 weeks), which is a more accessible and less invasive option than surgical termination that can be provided in primary care settings, has proved challenging. Rural and regional women are particularly disadvantaged by inequities in access. 

To address these issues, we've created a powerful intersectoral coalition comprising the leading Australian and international researchers in contraception and abortion from the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence for Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health in Primary Care (SPHERE) partnering with all key industry, national and state-based professional, government and non-government organisations relevant to the success of this project. 

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AusCAPPS will increase access to much-needed practice support, resources, and education and
training; provide regional peer-networking opportunities; drive innovation; and coordinate
sustainable improvements in access to and equity of these services nationwide.