Although abortion is illegal in most circumstances in Brazil, women still terminate unwanted pregnancies, usually under unsafe conditions. While ongoing, this issue has become high profile since the country’s Zika outbreak began in 2015, and women have been faced with knowing their unborn babies were at high risk for birth defects. Anna Fiastro, a recent graduate from the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, studied data from the 2016 Brazilian National Abortion Survey to identify socio-demographic factors that are associated with unsafe abortion in Brazil. Understanding patterns of use of safer methods and of greatest burden of serious complications is essential for devising effective harm-reduction public health interventions and policy, says Anna.
Shown here, Anna (center) is with colleagues with whom she worked in Mossoró, Brazil, last summer. In collaboration with the International Planned Parenthood Federation and with support from the Brady-Johnson Grand Strategies program, Anna conducted preliminary research for this thesis work.