“Medo de falar, medo de morrer, medo de buscar ajuda”: o uso do Cytotec na interrupção da gestação

Abstract

Misoprostol has been used in Brazil for voluntary pregnancy termination since the late 1980s. However, it was included in the list of controlled medications by ANVISA (Brazil's health regulatory agency) in 1986, which made it more difficult for women to access. Since then, the medication has circulated illegally in pharmacies, popular stores, and also through feminist collectives that provide medication to assist women in self-managing pregnancy termination. The objective of this thesis was to understand the process of voluntary pregnancy termination using misoprostol from the perspective of women and healthcare professionals who provide care in such cases. The research was conducted through a literature review, participant observation at a public maternity hospital in Rio de Janeiro, and semi-structured interviews with women who used misoprostol and with the professionals who provided care to them. The results revealed that the process of pregnancy termination with the medication is solitary and involves significant suffering, with intense pain and fear of death, as well as fear of seeking assistance in public healthcare services. Women tend to seek assistance only in cases of acute complications. This behavior stems from the criminalization of this practice and the potential mistreatment they may face when seeking healthcare services. Healthcare professionals expressed concern about the health status of women who come to the services. They emphasized that criminalization pushes women away and leads to preventable deaths, underscoring the need for care, even among those who condemn the practice. In conclusion, given the denial of these rights and all the barriers imposed by criminalization, women often have no choice but to self-manage pregnancy termination, sometimes with support from feminist collectives, and are generally welcomed by healthcare professionals who attend to them.