Sociodemographic characterization of adolescents who accessed to services related to voluntary termination of pregnancy due to rape. Chile: 2018 - 2020

• Published in: Andes pediatrica : revista Chilena de pediatría 2023-10, Vol.94 (5), p.628-637
• Main Authors: Montero Vega, Adela, Ramírez-Pereira, Mirliana, Molina González, Temístocles, Robledo Hoecker, Paz, Casas Becerra, Lidia, Vivaldi Macho, Lieta, González Aristegui, Daniela
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; spa
• ISSN: 2452-6053
• DOI: 10.32641/andespediatr.v94i5.4629

Ground N°3 of Law 21,030 allows for the termination of a pregnancy due to rape, with the woman's consent, establishing a gestational age limit of 14 weeks for adolescents under 14 years of age and 12 weeks for those over 14 years of age.OBJECTIVETo describe, between the period 2018-2020, the main sociodemographic and other variables linked to ground N°3 in minors under 14 years, adolescents aged 14 years or older and under 18 years, and women aged 18 years or older.PATIENTS AND METHODCross-sectional, descriptive, and population-based design. National data was obtained from the official registry of the Ministry of Health and through the Transparency Law. Measures of central tendency (median), dispersion (interquartile range), absolute frequencies, and percentages were used.RESULTS31.6% of the women with rape-related pregnancies were under 18 years of age. Women under 14 lived mainly in the regions of the country, had a higher gestational age at the time of the ground factor, and 31.2% decided to continue the pregnancy. Adolescents aged 14 or older and under 18, had a higher multidimensional poverty index. Women aged 18 or older were most frequently foreigners, lived mainly in the Metropolitan Region, and decided to terminate the pregnancy. 57.4% of those who reported the rape and 11.1% who failed to establish the ground were under 18.CONCLUSIONSSexual violence is a public health problem. Pregnancy due to rape in adolescents is a social reality. There should be permanent evaluation and monitoring of the implementation of Law 21,030, guaranteeing timely, efficient, and nondiscriminatory access to benefits.