The rapid and secret transfer from Australia of the 23-year-old Somali woman seeking termination of a pregnancy allegedly resulting from rape on Nauru is deeply shocking and sets a new low in Australia's treatment of asylum seeker women ("Pregnant refugee to be deported back to Nauru",   October 17-18). 
We write as doctors - many of us with long experience in the area of women's health, others with experience of caring for asylum seekers in detention - to appeal to the decency of the minister that this woman be returned to Australia to receive the same level of care regarded as essential for women resident in Australia finding themselves in a similar situation. That is, expert counselling about her pregnancy options, safe surgical abortion if that is her choice and appropriate counselling and care from an expert sexual assault team. In her five days in Australia, it appears she did not receive this care.
Returning her to Nauru to continue her pregnancy there when it appears she is requesting termination is a major breach of her human rights. She faces enormous risks to her physical and mental health in Nauru, with a high possibility of self-harm. There are also great dangers in leaving her on the island exposed to her alleged rapist. This must not be allowed to happen.
Professor Caroline de Costa, Dr Deborah Bateson, Professor David Isaacs, Dr Sue Jacobs, Dr John-Paul Sanggaran and nine others. Visit smh.com.au for the full list of signatories.