Abstract

PILECCO, Flávia Bulegon; KNAUTH, Daniela Riva  and  VIGO, Álvaro. Sexual coercion and abortion: a context of vulnerability among youth women. Cad. Saúde Pública [online]. 2011, vol.27, n.3, pp. 427-439. ISSN 0102-311X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X2011000300004.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between abortion and experiences of sexual coercion. The data came from GRAVAD, a household survey with a stratified random sample of young women (18-24 years) in Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, and Salvador, Brazil. The sample used in this article included 870 interviews of women who reported having become pregnant. Abortion was associated with: a reported experience of sexual coercion, more schooling, failure to obtain first information about sex from parents, and a history of more pregnancies and sexual partners. The association between abortion and sexual coercion reflects a situation of gender vulnerability and reveals young women's precariousness in sex negotiation and reproduction. A veil of silence in public agencies concerning sexual coercion helps perpetuate young women's vulnerability, as it blocks access to the appropriate educational, legal, and health services.

Keywords : Induced Abortion; Sexual Violence; Vulnerability.