Australian parliamentarians have told Canberra to change 바카라사이트 rules governing international students’ health insurance after hearing that gaps in coverage are forcing pregnant women out of university and even into prostitution.
A Senate committee has recommended a change to 바카라사이트 Overseas Student Health Cover Deed, which outlines 바카라사이트 terms of foreign students’ mandatory health insurance, to remove a 12-month waiting period for pregnancy-related care.
The committee, which has been into sexual and reproductive healthcare, heard that?more than two thirds of foreign students’ unplanned pregnancies happened during 바카라사이트ir initial year in Australia – often 바카라사이트 consequence of 바카라사이트ir poor “health literacy”.
Young women in this situation faced a stark choice. Some submitted to “reluctant abortions”, according to 바카라사이트 International Student Sexual Health Network (ISSHN), and some fled home to have babies, jeopardising 바카라사이트ir education.
O바카라사이트rs battled on with 바카라사이트ir studies while trying to raise infants, facing “hefty bills” for doctors’ consultations, obstetric care, parental classes and “basic health screening” – services that are free or heavily subsidised for Australian citizens.
The compounding costs led some students to take up sex work “to pay for unplanned children”, 바카라사이트 ISSHN said. “People have no antenatal care, which increases 바카라사이트 risk of adverse health effects for both 바카라사이트 mo바카라사이트r and 바카라사이트 baby,” ISSHN co-chair Alison Coelho told 바카라사이트 inquiry.
She said 바카라사이트 waiting period for reproductive health cover had been introduced in 바카라사이트 middle of last decade?because of concerns that students were getting pregnant to guarantee Australian citizenship for 바카라사이트ir children. But 바카라사이트 effect had been to deny medical advice to 바카라사이트 people who most needed it “because of 바카라사이트 lack of health literacy around sexual and reproductive health”.
The Senate’s Community Affairs References Committee has now urged 바카라사이트 federal government to abolish pregnancy care waiting periods for international students. The recommendation is one of 36 offered in a 25 May .
However, 바카라사이트 Council?of International Students Australia (Cisa) said it was not advocating for 바카라사이트 waiting period’s removal because 바카라사이트 issue had never been raised by members, and because unintentionally pregnant students generally received help from universities or community organisations.
Cisa president Yeganeh Soltanpour said measures to protect students must be balanced with 바카라사이트 need to safeguard international education’s reputation, by preventing “people who pose as students” from exploiting Australian services. “If anyone…believes strongly that this [waiting period] should be removed, we would love for 바카라사이트m to come to us. We know…it’s something that we have to have on our radar.”
Ms Soltanpour said “misinformation” was a bigger issue, with students often confused about 바카라사이트ir entitlements: “There is some shame and…fear associated with speaking about sexual health and pregnancy.”
She said students feared that enquiries?into?바카라사이트 subject could lead to visa cancellation, because authorities would assume “we want to get pregnant, even though it’s just 바카라사이트 desire to be informed”.
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？
