“Por que não?” - discursos sobre a renúncia ao aborto legal

Abstract

This research focused on the right to abortion when it comes to pregnancy resulting from rape and the discourses surrounding the topic. Despite being decriminalized by the 128º article of the Brazilian Penal Code of 1940, researches indicate that the right to abort in this case is not always claimed by the victims. Drawing from theoretical support and legal framework concerning the crime of rape and abortion procedures, the aim of the study was to investigate, through discourse analysis, what would lead rape victims to give their right up, especially considering the reverberations of this violence in their lives; likewise, the maintenance of pregnancy as a possibility of constant remembrance of the experienced rape. An initial analysis of the women’s discourses made it possible to identify the constant reference to religious beliefs as an important element in their ways of saying/ understanding the violence suffered and the renounce of the legal right to abort. In the same way, in the religious people’s discourses, it was possible to observe the presence of arguments referring to technical and scientific knowledge, which are not always verifiable. Therefore, in order to be able to configure a picture of the discourses in circulation, the discourses of three groups were analyzed: the discourses of rape victims, religious figures belonging to three different denominations and professionals working in public health were analyzed. All of them were obtained from virtual platforms, namely YouTube and Spotify. The discourses were first analyzed one by one and then collectively, organized by thematic categories, with the aim of mapping the ways women, religious individuals and professionals articulate and position themselves on the subject. As a result of such analyses, elements were identified in the victims' discourses suggesting a social and religious influence on the decision to maintain the pregnancy. The discourse analysis of religious individuals indicated the use of a discursive genre typical of this institutional context: exhortation. Opposed to abortion, even in cases of pregnancies resulting from rape, the position of religious individuals vehemently condemned women who exercised this right. Regarding the discourse of professionals, it was pointed out that there is a public network lacking full effectiveness and failing in the duty to provide healthcare to all women victims of rape, resulting in pregnancy or not. It is concluded by highlighting the role of qualified psychology professionals, not only for the care of victims of this type of sexual violence but also for prevention work that ensures the right to information and autonomy of decision.