Health care for women undergoing induced abortion

Abortion is considered to be the death and/or expulsion of the foetus before 28 weeks of gestation, or while it weighs less than 500g. Induced abortion is a serious public health problem in Brazil, largely due to its illegality, which leads women to seek clandestine services or unsafe home methods to perform it. It has been found that the health care provided to these women in vulnerable situations is fraught with prejudice and judgement, making it inadequate and inhumane, ultimately driving these women away from health services and thus creating an environment conducive to a steady increase in mortality among women of childbearing age due to post-abortion complications.