For the first time in more than two decades a Queensland couple will appear in court on abortion charges.

Tegan Leach, 19, was charged with procuring a miscarriage after police searched her Cairns home in February on an unrelated matter.

Her 21-year-old partner, Sergie Brennan, was charged with supplying drugs or instruments to procure an abortion.

The prosecution had relied mostly on statements and interviews with the couple after their home was searched in February.

During the search, police found two blister packets that were empty and two empty sachets that had contained powder.

Those items were labelled as mifolian and misoprostol, which are both known abortion drugs, but both those sets of packets were empty so the items could not be tested.

In police interviews and statements the couple admitted Brennan had arranged for his sister to send two sets of drugs from Russia.

The couple admitted that Leach had taken those drugs and had experienced side-effects associated with a miscarriage after taking them.

The defence relied on a number of arguments.

Lawyers for the pair said there was no way of proving that the drugs Leach had taken were actually abortion drugs because no tests had been done on them.

The defence also argued that it could not in fact be proved that those drugs had caused a miscarriage, and that they could have had a placebo effect.

Magistrate Sandra Pearson said on the basis of the evidence before the court she thought there was sufficient evidence to commit both to stand trial, particularly on the evidence they had given to police.

Leach began to cry when told the couple would be committed to stand trial.

The couple declined to comment outside of the courthouse.

Pro-choice campaigners have issued a statement calling on the Queensland Government to change the state's abortion laws.

Meanwhile, Cairns obstetrician Dr Caroline de Costa says the committal is unfortunate for the couple who have already been through an ordeal.

"I think it is very, very unfortunate for them that their ordeal is going to continue," she said.

"They have been the subject of national and international attention for five months now and I feel very strongly for them and their families about what they still have to go through."