Early pregnancy loss is devastating enough on its own, but a new report from The Pink Elephants Support Network shows that 40 per cent of Australians experience barriers to support after their loss.
This number is alarming considering that around 300 Australians and their partners experience early pregnancy loss every day – roughly 103,000 people a year – with one in four pregnancies ending in loss.
Australia’s leading early pregnancy loss support charity conducted a survey of 407 Australians who have experienced early pregnancy loss and released these findings in a State of Early Pregnancy Loss Report.
In addition to showing barriers to support, the report highlights how emotional support is just as important as physical support in meeting people’s needs after early pregnancy loss.
Survey respondents were almost equally as interested in information about the emotional aspects of loss (64 per cent) as they were about the physical aspects of loss (67 per cent).
More than half of the survey respondents (51 per cent) indicated they wanted to talk to another individual who had experienced an early pregnancy loss following their own loss.
Co-founder and CEO of Pink Elephants, Samantha Payne says: “Despite over 100,000 Australians experiencing this profound physical and emotional health issues each year, early pregnancy loss is continually minimised and ignored when it comes to ongoing government funding, research and formal support pathways.
Survey results showed specific barriers to support included challenges navigating health services without guidance – such as having to research information about pregnancy loss management themselves.
Respondents also said there was a lack of referral pathways to services such as fertility specialists or emotional support services like Pink Elephants.
“This can result in poor mental health outcomes for so many who are left to navigate their grief, confusion and disappointment alone,” says Payne.
Even with options for digital support through social media, respondents still reported hesitations and feelings of isolation, especially those living outside metropolitan areas.
More than double the amount of respondents said they wanted access to a counselor (48 per cent), than those who actually sought help from these professionals (20 per cent) in the general aftermath of early pregnancy loss.
Results also showed that only half (55 per cent) of respondents sought support from health and medical professionals compared to the 85 per cent of them who accessed support from their personal networks immediately following the early pregnancy loss.
“Miscarriage is so often a “hidden” loss, with many women and their partners experiencing early pregnancy loss unable to share or discuss their loss in the midst of their grief and confusion,” says Australian Medical Association (SA) President, Dr Michelle Atchison.
Increased support happened in 2021 with the passing of Australia’s ‘Leave for Loss’ legislation, following large advocacy efforts from Pink Elephants’ Leave for Loss campaign.
The amendment to the Fair Work Act extended its paid bereavement leave provisions to include people who experience miscarriage and their partners.
Nonetheless, this report shows that even greater government funding, research and support for those experiencing early pregnancy loss is needed.
Payne says: “Organisations like Pink Elephant are not resourced to meet the demands of our services or deliver the types of services people clearly need following their loss.”