INDUCED ABORTION: LEGAL CONSEQUENCES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR WOMEN’S PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH

Abstract

Induced abortion is a frequent practice in Brazil, present across different social classes, and is often carried out in unsafe and clandestine conditions, which leads to serious physiological and psychological risks to women. To analyze the legal consequences and the implications for physical and mental health resulting from induced abortion in the Brazilian context, through the identification of the main physical risks, psychological impacts, and the analysis of current legislation. This research is justified by the social relevance of clandestine abortion as a public health problem, by its disproportionate impact on women in situations of vulnerability, by its academic contribution to the interdisciplinary debate between health and law, and by its scientific importance in systematizing evidence on the physical, psychological, and legal harms associated with the practice. This is a qualitative bibliographic review based on the analysis of indexed scientific articles and Brazilian legislation, selected according to thematic relevance and timeliness. The studies show that the criminalization of abortion encourages unsafe practices, resulting in serious complications such as uterine perforation, infections, peritonitis, and septicemia, as well as reproductive sequelae and psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression, especially among low-income women. It is concluded that clandestine abortion constitutes a serious public health problem in Brazil, associated with social inequalities and significant physical, mental, and legal repercussions, highlighting the need to improve public policies on sexual and reproductive health.