Conscientious Objection to Legal Abortion in Minas Gerais State

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Medical Ethics
• Women's Health

Background:

• Comprehensive healthcare for sexual violence victims is crucial.
• Existing service structures may present barriers to care.
• Conscientious objection is a potential challenge in healthcare provision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess conscientious objection among healthcare providers for sexual violence victims.
• To analyze the service structure of institutions offering care to sexual violence survivors in Minas Gerais.
• To identify challenges in providing comprehensive care, including legal abortion services.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical field study.
• Data collected from institutions authorized to assist sexual violence victims in Minas Gerais.
• Surveys administered to service coordinators.

Main Results:

• 11% of institutions lack physicians; 31% lack trained staff.
• 85% of institutions encountered requests for legal abortion, but 83% were denied.
• 60% of medical teams reported conscientious objection, primarily for religious reasons (57%).

Conclusions:

• The current healthcare system is ill-equipped for comprehensive care of sexual violence victims, especially regarding legal abortions.
• Conscientious objection is a significant barrier to accessing legal abortion services.
• Improved referral systems and dialogue are needed to address these issues and respect medical professionals' objections.