Abortion and health in Brazil: challenges to research within a context of illegality

Legal abortion in Brazil: systematic review of the scientific production, 2008-2018

Previous reviews on the subject of abortion in Brazil have estimated one million procedures per year but did not address legal abortion. This systematic review sought to update knowledge regarding legal abortion in terms of service and women's profile, student and doctor knowledge, situations of anencephaly and severe malformations. We searched MEDLINE and LILACS for articles published in all languages between 2008 and 2018. Article quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute instruments. Search, selection, quality assessment and data extraction were carried out independently by two researchers. We selected 20 articles, 11 on the knowledge and opinion of medical professionals (4 articles) and students (7 articles) revealing a less-than-ideal level of knowledge and a high degree of objection of conscience. Six studies on women who use legal abortion services found that they are young, single and that the main demand was for pregnancy resulting from rape. When women were younger and single and when the aggressor was someone close to them, there were delays in seeking care. Three studies on severe malformation found around 40% of court authorizations. In cases for which no authorization was given, the evolution of pregnancies was complicated and deliveries were done through cesarean sections. Only one article addressed legal abortion services, showing that 37 of the 68 that had been registered were active, lack of services in seven states and concentration in capitals. Knowledge regarding legal abortion is still scarce, the demand for the procedure is repressed and medical training is deficient with regard to this subject.