Legal abortion after rape: true stories, necessary dialogues

Abstract

This is a documentary and descriptive case study with a qualitative approach. The goal of this study was to identify the statements expressed in the Terms of Detailed Accounts (TDA), registered between January 2009 and December 2015, of women over 18 who requested abortion at the Clinics Hospital Complex of the Federal University of Paraná. The violence suffered and the assertion of a desire to interrupt the gestation are reported in the TDAs. Data analysis was performed with the support of WebQDA software. Fifty-eight reports were identified, which were then analyzed, allowing the identification of the 20 most frequent words in the statements, giving visibility to the stories of violence experienced by the participants. It was concluded that the research brought important reflection on sexual violence toward women, as well as its association to gender issues. It was possible to identify from the statements that the established power relations around the phenomenon interfere directly on the behaviors and actions after sexual violence that culminates in unwanted pregnancies. The need to expand discussions that contemplate historically rooted concepts is essential, thus promoting the fight against violence toward women.