Jefferson Drezett, Maria Madalena de Souza Matos, Beatriz de Barros Souza, Francisca de Fátima dos Santos Freire

Abstract

Introduction: the legislation on abortion in Brazil is restrictive but allows the procedure in cases of pregnancy resulting from a sexual crime. However, some of these pregnant women seek legal abortion late, at a higher gestational age.

Objective: to evaluate the relationship between the late search for legal abortion and the type of sexual offender, the form of intimidation, legal measures adopted and the age of the pregnant woman.

Method: cross-sectional study with a non-probabilistic retrospective sample with secondary data from 2,247 women treated at the Pérola Byington Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil, between 1994 and 2018, who sought legal abortion due to pregnancy resulting from a sexual crime. Gestational age was analyzed by comparing adult and adolescent pregnant women according to the type of sexual offender, form of intimidation, and legal measures adopted using the chi-square test, with a significance of p<0.05 and a 95% CI. Gestational age was analyzed according to the age of the pregnant women by dispersion of data with an exponential trend. Study approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of Centro Universitário São Francisco de Barreiras, opinion no. 3.668.297.

Results: the mean age of the study population was 26.1±7.6 years, with a mean gestational age of 12.1±5.2 weeks. Among 393 adolescents (17.4%), the mean gestational age was 14.4±5.8 weeks, and among 1,854 adult pregnant women (82.6%), it was 11.7±4.9 weeks, with an exponential trend line with R2 = 0.7512 and y=16.509e-0.013x. In 188 cases (4.8%), gestational age was greater than 22 weeks, more frequent among pregnant adolescents (p<0.001 / OR=0.03 (0.02-0.05). In the adolescent group, the frequency of known or related aggressors (p<0.001 / OR=0.14 (0.11-0.19), sexual crime with vulnerability of the victim (p<0.001 / OR=3.53 (2.80-4.46), communication to the police (p<0.001 / OR=5.77 (4.45-7.51) and forensic examination (p<0.001 / OR=5.55 (4.30-7.15) was higher.

Conclusion: seeking legal abortion at a later gestational age was associated with sexual crimes against younger and more vulnerable pregnant women. The proximity of known and related sex offenders can intimidate victims, delaying the search for legal abortion. Likewise, communication to the police and forensic examination can also collaborate to delay the exercise of this right.

Keywords: Sex offenses, Legal abortion, Violence against women, Pregnancy in adolescence. Barriers to Access of Health Services.

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