Conhecimento de estudantes de Medicina da Bahia sobre abortamento legal

Abstract

Abortion is a frequent practice in Brazil, with impact on women's health, being an important cause of maternal mortality. Even under legal conditions, women face many barriers, many of them due to the lack of knowledge of medical professionals about legislation. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the knowledge of the students of the College of Medicine of Bahia of the Federal University of Bahia about the laws that allow abortion and about their perception about the topic. METHODS: cross-sectional study and qualitative analysis, using data obtained through the use of a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: a total of 237 students participated in the study. Although they demonstrated adequate theoretical knowledge about legal aspects, there were incongruities and flaws when asked about laws' application in practical situations of legal abortion care, evidencing the need for focused education on the subject addressed using multidisciplinary and transversal discussions during medical course. It is worth noting that there was a favorable trend towards decriminalization among the sample participants.