Caring for victims of sexual violence, Part III: pregnancy after rape – integrative review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25118/2763-9037.2017.v7.103Keywords:
Sexual violence, unwanted pregnancy aft er rape, aborti on, mental disorderAbstract
Caring for victims of sexual violence requires knowledge of the evidence available and training. Screening and psychiatric follow-up of legally terminated pregnancies and assistance to incestuous families reveal windows of vulnerabilities and opportunities in preventing the serious consequences of these offenses. The objectives of this study were to gather critical knowledge about unwanted pregnancy after rape, its repercussions and approaches, contributing to the development of protocols and best practices. This was an integrative review, with data collected from secondary sources (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO), based on the first author’s experience. The following keywords were used in Portuguese and English: mental disorder, sexual violence, rape, pregnancy, and abortion. The sample comprised 32 scientific articles and two from the lay press. Mental and physical illnesses affecting victims of sexual violence cost the world economy over 8 trillion dollars a year (psychiatric hospitalizations, alcohol and drug addiction, suicide, obesity, migraine, cardiovascular diseases, obstetric problems), with a higher statistical power among women with intellectual disabilities and adolescents. Currently, 37 health units in Brazil offerassistance to cases of pregnancy aft er rape – three off er psychiatric assistance. Thousands of these pregnancies are not revealed, generate confl icts, risks, and challenges related to the children born aft er rape. Legal aborti on involves insti tuti onal and emoti onal diffi culti es for both professionals and pati ents while facing complex and painful decisions before, during, and aft er the procedure. Cogniti ve-aff ecti ve readiness to receive care, when delayed, compromises the lives of victi ms and their
children. We conclude that combati ng and preventi ng transgenerati onal transmission of gender violence and pregnancy aft er rape should be a public health priority.
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