“It reminds women all over the world and also in Australia that,in comparison to men,our rights are always equivocal. They’re up for debate and they can be taken off us,” Caro said.

Caro said the decision would embolden opponents of abortion in Australia – who she described as “forced birthers” rather than “pro-lifers” – but said it would also energise supporters of abortion.

“It will make people here feel even more strongly about the importance of the fact that abortion is now decriminalised in nearly every state in Australia,in the same way that the US’ extraordinary laxness about gun control actually reinforces people’s support for gun laws here,” Caro said.

Bonney Corbin,head of policy at MSI Australia (formerly Marie Stopes),said the biggest implication for Australia was that it increased the stigma of abortion.

“We know that in Australia between one and three and one in four women have had an abortion in their lifetimes,” Corbin said.

“Feeling that judgement about a very personal decision about your own body is uncomfortable and can create so much stigma and negativity within communities.”

Corbin said South Australia took the final steps to decriminalise abortion on Thursday,with the new laws to take effect on July 7. All states and territories now had access to medical abortion up to nine weeks’ gestation where women could have a telehealth consultation and be sent a pill through the mail.

She said abortion was unlikely to be overturned at a federal level because the National Women’s Health Strategy,announced by former health minister Greg Hunt,was bipartisan policy that called for universal,free or low-cost access to abortion by 2030.

Wendy Francis,national director for politics at the Australian Christian Lobby,said the decision in the US gave “a sense of hope to people who are opposed to abortion that there is a global movement” and they can be part of that.

“The Roe v Wade decision does have implications for Australia but also globally because what we are seeing is a new younger generation rising up that is pro-life,” Francis said.

Francis said the federal government should act to ban Medicare-funded abortion for sex selection and ensure babies that survived abortion and were viable were given medical care.

The Anglican and Catholic Archbishops of Sydney,who made a joint statement against abortion in 2019,declined to comment.

NSW Pregnancy Choices Helpline 1800 008 463;Victoria 1800 MY OPTIONS;Sexual assault helpline 1800 RESPECT.

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