Características sociodemográficas de migrantes bolivianas com gestação decorrente de violência sexual atendidas em serviço público de referência para abortamento legal, São Paulo, Brasil, 2002‐2014

Abstract

Introduction

The city of São Paulo is one of the main destinations of Bolivian migrant women in search of work. However, her are subjected to poor living conditions and work that make them more vulnerable to suffer violence, included sexual.

Objective

To identify sociodemographic characteristics of Bolivian migrants with pregnancy resulting from rape, met in public service reference for legal abortion.

Method

Retrospective study and documentation. Convenience sample with 38 Bolivian women who requested abortion for pregnancy resulting from rape between 2002 and 2014. The study variables were the origin of region, age, education, occupation, marital status, religion, offender classification, reporting to the police, circumstances of sexual crime and its consequences.

Results

The age ranged from 13‐34 years, mean 24.0 ± 6.3 years. Most were single (63.2%), Catholic (55.3%), working (71.1%) and incomplete primary education (28.9%), residing on the east side (44.7%). Sexual violence occurred mainly at home (26.3%) or during leisure (23.7%), perpetrated by unknown (63.2%) by physical violence and threat (39.5%). Most of the cases were referred by public health services (39.5%) carrying police report (52.6%) and mean gestational age of 12.1 weeks. Pregnancy was interrupted in 30 cases (78.9%) and the main abortion ground for refusal was gestational age ≥ 23 weeks.

Conclusions

In many ways the sexual violence against women Bolivian migrants, resemble the situations experienced by women in large urban centers addressed in public places by unknown assailants. However, the results suggest that the Bolivian migrants are more likely to rape practiced with physical violence and less able to communicate the crime to the police.