With the Senate approving the RU486 bill yesterday, Christian and Muslim students are urging members of the House of Representatives to vote to retain the Health Minister's oversight of the potentially dangerous abortion pill as debate begins this week.

Tracey Gowing, spokesperson for The Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES) says men and women need to unite on this issue.

"The health of women is an issue that all of us should be concerned about," she says.

"Social and moral issues of this magnitude are something for all of us to take responsibility for.”

AFES has teamed up with The Muslim Students Association of Australia and The Australian Catholic Students Association to release a joint statement on RU496.

The students are particularly concerned about the health of cash-strapped students who may feel pressured to take the pill.

"Many students have financial difficulties and other particular challenges when faced with pregnancy: taking a pill that may seriously damage the health of the mother is not a message that should be sent out to students, this is not a solution,' the statement says.

The joint statement also urges MPs to pay attention to the experiences of other countries such as Italy who have reaffirmed their ban and nations like the USA and Canada who are moving to suspend approval.

Kaled El-Hassan, President of The Muslim Students Association of Australia noted the importance of student organisations working together and the significance of the joint statement.

“This joint statement is a strong sign of the opposition that young people have to this Bill before the Parliament,” he says.

“All of us will continue to encourage our members to make submissions to their elected Members of Parliament and we will continue in our united efforts.”