Timely initiation of antenatal care in adolescent victims of sexual violence: implications for legal abortion in Brazil.

Abstract

We investigated the timely initiation of antenatal care among Brazilian adolescents to support the national discussion on the gestational age limit for legal abortion. Using data from the Live Births Information System (SINASC) 2020-2022, we correlated the timely antenatal care (first quarter of pregnancy) with the adolescent's age, region, ethnicity/skin color, and schooling level; 11,607 annual births result from vulnerable rape. The timely initiation of antenatal care was 70.2% for all adolescents (<20 years), but only 55.6% for those under 13 years old; 14.1% of adolescents started antenatal care at 22 weeks or more of gestation (28.3% among those <13 years old). Timely initiation was lower in the North region, among Indigenous girls, and those with low education. Delays in recognizing the pregnancy and communicating with the family contribute to the late start of antenatal care and the decision to abort. The proposed legal abortion time limit will mainly impact the most vulnerable adolescents in terms of socioeconomic and racial factors.