Maternal deaths due to abortion among adolescents in Piauí, Brazil

Abstract

This article analyzes maternal deaths of adolescents in Piauí and describes the stories of those who died from induced abortion from 2008 to 2013. The study was conducted in two stages. The first, quantitative, was obtained demographic data and basic causes of deaths from the Mortality Information System. In the second, qualitative, the mothers of the adolescents were interviewed. Adolescents’ deaths accounted for 17.2% (50 cases) of total maternal deaths. The majority of the adolescents lived in inner cities (78%) and was black (70%). There was predominance as basic causes: hypertensive disorders (n=14; 28%), puerperal infection (16%), hemorrhage (12%), thromboembolism (12%) and abortion (10%). Use of medication occurred in all cases of abortion, with abundant bleeding and pelvic pain being the main reasons for seeking hospital care. There was delay in the diagnosis and appropriate treatment of abortion complications, which may have contributed to the death of the adolescents. Maternal deaths among adolescents were mostly caused by conditions considered preventable. The stories of young women who died of abortion complications have highlighted the need for better-qualified health care, as well as laws and public policies that protect women who decide to terminate their pregnancies.