Experiences of Latin American adolescents and young people on abortion: an integrative review.

Source: PubMed, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine

This study aimed to identify the experiences of Latin American adolescents and young people abortion in the literature. This integrative review aimed to elucidate the following question: "What information is available about the experiences of young people and adolescents regarding abortion in Latin America?". The data sources used were PubMed, Scopus, LILACS, BDENF, Embase, and Web of Science. The textual corpus was assembled from data extracted from the included articles. Data analysis was performed using the Iramuteq software. The sample consisted of 12 articles. Six classes were developed: family and social interactions in the decision to terminate a pregnancy; the means and fears of clandestine abortion; paradigms and stigmas in health care before and after abortion; distress for the lack of autonomy and lack of support; horror stories about abortion; and pain, fear of dying, and relief. Therefore, a complex dynamic of interactions when deciding to terminate a pregnancy was evidenced. This illustrates the urgency of discussing health care and more inclusive policies for all young women and adolescents regarding abortion.