🚨 Access to legal abortion still requires women and girls in Brazil to endure long, arduous journeys.
A new Brief Communication from Cadernos de Saúde Pública, published exclusively by Outra Saúde, analyzed 111 cases monitored by the Vivas Project between February and November 2025. The data show that women, adolescents, and girls had to travel, on average, 1,307 km to access a legal abortion service; more than half traveled over 1,000 km.
Most cases involved rape victims who sought care during the first trimester of pregnancy, a period when the procedure is considered low-complexity. Even so, they faced refusals of care, a lack of referral services, a shortage of professionals, and unreasonable demands.
The study highlights how geographic, institutional, and social barriers can delay or prevent access to a right guaranteed by law, primarily affecting women in situations of socioeconomic vulnerability.
📖 Read the Brief Communication and learn about the results.
📷: Guilherme Prímola/Metrópoles