2025 Lloyd Cox Memorial Lecture delivered by Professor Mazza
The Robinson Research Institute was proud to host the 11th annual Lloyd Cox Memorial Lecture on 12 November 2025, delivered by Professor Danielle Mazza AM, Head of the Department of General Practice at Monash University.
Professor Mazza is internationally recognised for her leadership in women’s sexual and reproductive health, and in translating evidence into general practice. As Director of the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Sexual and Reproductive Health for Women in Primary Care (SPHERE), she leads research that drives real-world improvements in quality, safety and equity of care.
In her presentation, titled From Aspiration to Access: Building equitable, high-quality women’s sexual and reproductive health care in Australian primary care settings, Professor Mazza explored how Australia can bridge the gap between our aspirations for women’s health and the realities of access, particularly around contraceptive care in primary settings, such as General Practices.
Her lecture highlighted the need to move beyond ambition and policy intent, to implementation and system design that ensure women everywhere can access the reproductive health care they need — when and wherever they need it.
Professor Mazza stressed that contraception is a cornerstone of women’s reproductive autonomy — yet barriers to equitable access remain substantial. These include limited Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) rebates for long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) insertions in general practice, high out-of-pocket costs, and workforce and model-of-care constraints. Work produced within SPHERE notes that insufficient MBS rebates mean many general practices deliver LARC at a financial loss, which then contributes to costs being passed on to women.
It was emphasised that effective contraceptive care is not simply about providing a menu of options. It requires a personalised, patient-centred approach — one that recognises each woman’s individual needs, preferences, health circumstances, and life stage.
Continuing the Lloyd Cox legacy
The Lloyd Cox Memorial Lecture honours the vision of Professor Lloyd Cox, founder of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Adelaide, whose pioneering leadership laid the foundation for the multidisciplinary research approach that continues through the Robinson Research Institute today.
Each year, this lecture celebrates thought leaders who challenge existing practice and inspire innovation in reproductive and women’s health.
We thank Professor Mazza for her insightful contribution and all those who joined us for this.