Adolescents’ Decision-Making and Attitudes Towards Abortion in North-East Brazil

Bailey, Patricia; Bruno, Zenilda Vieira; Bezerra, Maria F.; Queirós, Ivany; Oliveira, Cristiana Maia de

doi:10.1017/s0021932003000713

Cited by 15 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…Worldwide, adolescents are more likely than adults to self-induce and suffer damaging sequelae from unsafe abortion procedures as a result of delayed help-seeking, financial barriers to safe services, and laws that preclude confidentiality for adolescents [4,33,63]…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brazilian adolescents’ knowledge and beliefs about abortion methods: a school-based internet inquiry

et al. 2014

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BackgroundInternet surveys that draw from traditionally generated samples provide the unique conditions to engage adolescents in exploration of sensitive health topics.MethodsWe examined awareness of unwanted pregnancy, abortion behaviour, methods, and attitudes toward specific legal indications for abortion via a school-based internet survey among 378 adolescents aged 12–21 years in three Rio de Janeiro public schools.ResultsForty-five percent knew peers who had undergone an abortion. Most students (66.0%) did not disclose abortion method knowledge. However, girls (aOR 4.2, 95% CI 2.4-7.2), those who had experienced their sexual debut (aOR1.76, 95% CI 1.1-3.0), and those attending a prestigious magnet school (aOR 2.7 95% CI 1.4-6.3) were more likely to report methods. Most abortion methods (79.3%) reported were ineffective, obsolete, and/or unsafe. Herbs (e.g. marijuana tea), over-the-counter medications, surgical procedures, foreign objects and blunt trauma were reported. Most techniques (85.2%) were perceived to be dangerous, including methods recommended by the World Health Organization. A majority (61.4%) supported Brazil’s existing law permitting abortion in the case of rape. There was no association between gender, age, sexual debut, parental education or socioeconomic status and attitudes toward legal abortion. However, students at the magnet school supported twice as many legal indications (2.7, SE.27) suggesting a likely role of peers and/or educators in shaping abortion views.ConclusionsAbortion knowledge and attitudes are not driven simply by age, religion or class, but rather a complex interplay that includes both social spaces and gender. Prevention of abortion morbidity and mortality among adolescents requires comprehensive sexuality and reproductive health education that includes factual distinctions between safe and unsafe abortion methods.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brazilian adolescents’ knowledge and beliefs about abortion methods: a school-based internet inquiry

et al. 2014

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“…Estimates of 1–1.5 million clandestine abortions per year, calculated by emergency room visits (Leal 1995; Costa 1999:165–167; Díaz and Díaz 1999:214) and estimates that unsafe abortion is a major cause of maternal death (Giffin 1994:357; Costa 1999:168) register ongoing dangers of illegal pregnancy termination. Approximately one‐fourth of these occur with adolescents (Bailey et al 2003:72); one‐third with women aged 20–24 (Bott 2001). For many, the experience is structured by social censure (Nations et al 1997; Vieira 1999a) and poverty as well as illegality (Kerber 2001).…”

Section: Sterilization and Abortion In Context: Contending With Illegmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lia Won't: Agency in the Retrospective Pregnancy Narratives of Low‐Income Brazilian Women

O’Dougherty

2008

J Latin Amer Carib Anth

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RESUMEN O rápido declínio das taxas de fecundidade no Brasil, de uma média de 6 bebês nascidos vivos por mulher em 1965 a 2,5 em 1996, occorreu num contexto no qual o aborto induzido é ilegal e a esterilização não foi autorizada pelo Código de Ética Médica antes de 1997. No entanto, mais de um quarto de brasileiras, unidas e solteiras, escolhem a esterilização até os 30 anos de idade. Esta pesquisa analisa narrativas de gravidez de 30 brasileiras de baixa renda, com 25 a 50 anos de idade, com a finalidade de entender como elas representam sua própria atuação (agency) e a atuação de outros, em relação a decisões sobre a gravidez. O protocolo de análise de agência (agency), tal como ela é representada nas narrativas, comprende três categorias analíticas: a agência do outro, em gravidezes não planejadas; a agência recuperadora–quando a mulher reassume o controle por meio do aborto induzido ou da aceitação da maternidade; e a agência antecipada, no qual a sua decisão incide sobre o futuro, por meio da esterilização. Brazil's rapid fertility decline, from six births per woman in 1965 to 2.5 in 1996, occurred in a context where abortion is illegal and sterilization sanctioned (until 1997) by the medical code of ethics. Still, more than one‐quarter of Brazilian women, both single and in stable union, choose sterilization by age 30. This research analyzed 30 pregnancy narratives of low‐income Brazilian women aged 25–50 to understand how they represent their agency, and the agency of others, in relation to pregnancy decisions. Three analytical categories comprise my method for examination of agency as represented in narrative: proximal (the agency of others) in unintended pregnancy; recuperative agency—reassuming control with abortion or embracing motherhood; and pre‐emptive or forward‐acting agency, through sterilization.

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“…An alternative approach to understanding the risk of having an unintended pregnancy or HIV transmission among youth is to collect data in health facilities serving youth, such as HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) centers and RH clinics (Bailey et al 2003; Horizons Program et al 2001; Meyer-Weitz et al 2000; Newmann et al 2005; Reynolds and Kimani 2006; Varga 1997). Most youth visiting these clinical sites are sexually experienced, increasing the sample of at-risk youth surveyed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Multiple Sampling Approaches to Measure Sexual Risk‐taking Among Young People in Haiti: Programmatic Implications

Speizer¹,

Harry

Gómez

et al. 2009

Studies in Family Planning

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No studies have examined the applicability of varying methods for identifying youth at high risk of unintended pregnancies and contracting HIV. This study compares sociodemographic characteristics and sexual behaviors of youth (ages 15-24) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti surveyed using three different study methodologies. The three study methodologies are compared in terms of their utility for identifying high risk youth and utility for program planning. The three study methodologies are: a representative sample of youth from the 2005/6 Demographic and Health Survey (HDHS); a 2004 facility-based study; and a 2006/7 venue-based study that used the Priorities for Local AIDS Control Efforts (PLACE) method. The facility-based and PLACE studies included larger proportions of single, sexually experienced youth and youth who knew someone with HIV/AIDS than the HDHS. More youth in the PLACE study had multiple sexual partners in the last year and received money or gifts for sex compared to youth in facilities. At first and last sex, more PLACE youth used contraception including condoms. Pregnancy experience was most common in the facility-based data; however, more ever-pregnant PLACE youth reported ever terminating a pregnancy. Program managers seeking to target prevention activities should consider using facility- or venue-based methods to identify and understand the behaviors of high-risk youth.

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Adolescents’ Decision-Making and Attitudes Towards Abortion in North-East Brazil

Cited by 15 publications

References 0 publications

Brazilian adolescents’ knowledge and beliefs about abortion methods: a school-based internet inquiry

Brazilian adolescents’ knowledge and beliefs about abortion methods: a school-based internet inquiry

Lia Won't: Agency in the Retrospective Pregnancy Narratives of Low‐Income Brazilian Women

Using Multiple Sampling Approaches to Measure Sexual Risk‐taking Among Young People in Haiti: Programmatic Implications

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