Therapeutic itineraries for women during the abortion process
Itinerarios terapéuticos para mujeres durante el proceso de aborto
Itinerários terapêuticos de mulheres durante o processo de abortamento
Mariana Enumo Balestre; Juliana Amaral Prata; Lilian Conceição Guimarães Almeida; Mara Cristina Ribeiro Furlan; Elen Ferraz Teston; Sonia Silva Marcon
Abstract
Objective to understand the therapeutic itineraries experienced by women during the abortion process.
Method this descriptive, exploratory qualitative study was conducted with 19 women who received hospital care due to abortion. Data were collected between May and September 2024 through semi-structured audio-recorded interviews conducted either in person or remotely and were subjected to thematic content analysis.
Results itineraries experienced by the participants revealed diverse pathways, including hospitals, Emergency Care Units, private medical offices, and other support services. Barriers to accessing care were related to personal and/or institutional factors. The care provided did not follow a standardized pathway and was influenced by the infrastructure available at each service and by each woman’s individual circumstances.
Final considerations and implications for practice the fragmentation of the Health Care Network and the absence of unified protocols negatively affect women’s experiences. These findings reinforce the need to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure and coordination among services, as well as to develop protocols aimed at ensuring welcoming, humanized, effective, and comprehensive care.
Keywords
Resumen
Palabras clave
Resumo
Objetivo: compreender os itinerários terapêuticos experenciados pelas mulheres durante o processo de abortamento.
Método: estudo descritivo exploratório, de abordagem qualitativa, realizado com 19 mulheres que receberam atendimento hospitalar em decorrência de aborto. Os dados foram coletados entre maio e setembro de 2024 por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas, gravadas em áudio, realizadas presencialmente ou de forma remota, e submetidos à análise de conteúdo temática.
Resultados: os itinerários experenciados pelas participantes revelam trajetórias diversas, incluindo hospitais, Unidades de Pronto Atendimento, consultórios particulares e outros serviços de apoio. Os obstáculos no acesso ao cuidado se relacionam a barreiras pessoais e/ou institucionais. Observou-se que o cuidado prestado não segue um fluxo padronizado, sendo influenciado pela infraestrutura disponível em cada serviço e pelas situações individuais da mulher.
Considerações finais e implicações para a prática: a fragmentação da Rede de Atenção à Saúde e a ausência de protocolos unificados interferem negativamente a experiência das mulheres. Os achados reforçam a necessidade de se fortalecer a estrutura assistencial e a articulação entre os serviços, bem como de se elaborar protocolos, visando garantir um cuidado acolhedor, humanizado, resolutivo e integral.
Palavras-chave
References
1 Ministério da Saúde (BR). Atenção humanizada ao aborto: norma técnica. 2ª. ed. [Internet]. Brasília, DF: Ministério da Saúde; 2014 [citado 2025 fev 7]. Disponível em:
2 Enright M. Abortion and Constitutional Rights in Ireland Since 2018: Assessing the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act. RDP. 2025;21(112):338-69.
3 Oliveira JTD, Almeida APSC, Sarti TD, Esposti CDD. Falta de acesso aos serviços de saúde por mulheres no contexto da pandemia de COVID-19: interseccionando cor da pele, renda e escolaridade. Cien Saude Colet. 2025;30(5):e18802023.
4 Freeman C, Rodríguez S. The making of clandestinity: “strategic ignorance” in abortion practices in Latin America. Int Fem J Polit. 2024;26(3):633-56.
5 Bonan C, Reis AP, Rodrigues AP, Menezes GMS, McCallum A, Duarte IG et al. Health care itineraries for women in situations of abortion: methodological aspects of a qualitative study for Birth in Brazil II survey. Cad Saude Publica. 2024;40(4):e00006223. PMid:38695458.
6 Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS). Diretriz sobre cuidados no aborto [Internet]. Genebra: OMS; 2022 [citado 2025 fev 7]. Disponível em:
7 Kim CR, Lavelanet A, Ganatra B. Enabling access to quality abortion care: WHO’s Abortion Care guideline. Lancet Glob Health. 2022;10(4):e467-8.
8 Hamui RM, Aquino EML, Menezes GMS, Velho Barreto de Araújo T, Seabra Soares de Britto E Alves MT, Valongueiro Alves S et al. Delays in obtaining hospital care and abortion-related complications within a context of illegality. PLoS One. 2023 Jun 14;18(6):e0286982.
9 Barbalho DMG, Veiga-Junior NN, Baccaro LFC, Guida JPS. Maternal mortality rates due to abortion in Brazil: a 10 years analysis of national databases. Women Health. 2025;65(9):795-801.
10 Anderson EM, Cowan SK, Higgins JA, Schmuhl NB, Wautlet CK. Willing but unable: Physicians’ referral knowledge as barriers to abortion care. SSM Popul Health. 2022;e101002:101002.
11 Fonseca JG, Coelho EDAC, Rodrigues LSDA, Silva JMQ, Evangelista RP, Melo ACCDA. Intersection between access difficulties and obstetric violence in abortion itineraries. Cien Saude Colet. 2024;29(9):e04552023.
12 Couto JGA, Abreu D, Botazzo C, Ros MA, Mello ALSF, Carcereri DL. Homeless population’s health: reflections from the social determination of health. Saude Soc. 2023;32(2):e220531pt.
13 Ríos-Camargo NK, Urrego-Mendoza ZC. Itinerarios terapéuticos: una revisión de alcance. Rev Salud Publica (Bogota). 2021;23(1):1-6.
14 Lokubal P, Corcuera I, Balil JM, Frischer SR, Kayemba CN, Kurinczuk JJ et al. Abortion decision-making process trajectories and determinants in low- and middle-income countries: a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine. 2022;54:101694.
15 Souza VR, Marziale MH, Silva GT, Nascimento PL. Translation and validation into Brazilian Portuguese and assessment of the COREQ checklist. Acta Paul Enferm. 2021;34:eAPE02631.
16 Rahimi S, Khatooni M. Saturation in qualitative research: an evolutionary concept analysis. Int J Nurs Stud Adv. 2024;6:100174.
17 Bardin L. Análise de conteúdo. São Paulo: Edições 70; 2020
18 de Almeida PF, dos Santos AM, Cabral LMS, Fausto MCR. Context and organization of primary health care in remote rural communities in Northern Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Cad Saude Publica. 2021;37(11):e00255020.
19 Acylino EM, Almeida PFD, Hoffmann LMA. Acesso e continuidade assistencial na busca por cuidado em saúde: tecendo a rede entre encontros e entrelaços. Physis. 2021;31(1):e310123.
20 Corrêa PG, Vieira SR, Konzen RS, Ludwig NA, Borba LC, Castilhos TCC. Flows of care in an obstetric center in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic: experience report. Cienc Cuid Saude. 2021;20:1.
21 Federação Brasileira das Associações de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. Aborto: classificação, diagnóstico e conduta. São Paulo: FEBRASGO; 2021.
22 da Gama SGN, Bittencourt SA, Theme Filha MM, Takemoto MLS, Lansky S, de Frias PG et al. Maternal mortality: protocol of a study integrated to the Birth in Brazil II survey. Cad Saude Publica. 2024;40(4).
23 Santos RC, Bispo LDG, Ferreira LLL, Souza JLS, Jesus LS, Teixeira VS et al. Reference and counter-reference in the brazilian national health service: challenges for integrality. RAS. 2021;19(69):67-81.
24 Jacobson LE, Darney BG, Johnston HB, Ganatra B. A global scoping review of the circumstances of care seeking for abortion later in pregnancy. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024;4(12):e0003965.
25 Becker A, Hann LR. “It makes it more real”: Examining ambiguous fetal meanings in abortion care. Soc Sci Med. 2021;272:113736.
26 Kerestes C, Delafield R, Elia J, Chong E, Kaneshiro B, Soon R. “It was close enough, but it wasn’t close enough”: a qualitative exploration of the impact of direct-to-patient telemedicine abortion on access to abortion care. Contraception. 2021;104(1):67-72.
27 Brown C, Neerland CE, Weinfurter EV, Saftner MA. The provision of abortion care via telehealth in the united states: a rapid review. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2023;68(6):744-58.
28 Daniel S, Raifman S, Kaller S, Grossman D. Characteristics of patients having telemedicine versus in-person informed consent visits before abortion in Utah. Contraception. 2020 Jan;101(1):56-61.
29 Defensoria Pública do Paraná. Defensorias Públicas Estaduais lançam protocolo de atendimento em casos de aborto legal [Internet]. 2019 [citado 2025 fev 7]. Disponível em:
30 Bazié F, Thomas HL, Byrne ME, Kindo B, Bell SO, Moreau C. Typologies of women’s abortion trajectories in Burkina Faso: findings from a qualitative study. Reprod Health. 2022;19(1):212.
31 Duffy D, Mishtal J, Grimes L, Murphy M, Reeves K, Chakravarty D et al. Information flow as reproductive governance. Patient journey analysis of information barriers and facilitators to abortion care in the republic of Ireland. SSM Popul Health. 2022;19:101132.
32 Baum SE, Ramirez AM, Larrea S, Filippa S, Egwuatu I, Wydrzynska J et al. “It’s not a seven-headed beast”: abortion experience among women that received support from helplines for medication abortion in restrictive settings. Health Care Women Int. 2020;41(10):1128-46.
Accepted date:
07/09/2026

)