Photos: Brazilian women break taboo to talk about illegal abortions

Updated On Jan 08, 2018 08:32 AM IST

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A woman with the word “Legalize” painted on her mouth marches against a congressional vote to make abortion illegal nationwide, on November 13, 2017 in Rio de Janeiro. Still a taboo, abortion remains illegal in Brazil with few exceptions. But amid a rising tide of conservatism and concerns against further restrictions, women are coming out of the shadows to share their stories in hopes of galvanizing support. (Silvia Izquierdo / AP)

Updated on Jan 08, 2018 08:32 AM IST

A woman with the word “Legalize” painted on her mouth marches against a congressional vote to make abortion illegal nationwide, on November 13, 2017 in Rio de Janeiro. Still a taboo, abortion remains illegal in Brazil with few exceptions. But amid a rising tide of conservatism and concerns against further restrictions, women are coming out of the shadows to share their stories in hopes of galvanizing support. (Silvia Izquierdo / AP)

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Feminist groups march demanding gender equality and legalization of abortion on Women’s Day 2017 in Sao Paulo. An estimated 400,000 to 800,000 women have an abortion each year in Brazil — the vast majority of them illegal. According to Health Ministry statistics, more than 200 women died in 2015 after abortions. (Victor Moriyama / Getty Images)

Updated on Jan 08, 2018 08:32 AM IST

Feminist groups march demanding gender equality and legalization of abortion on Women’s Day 2017 in Sao Paulo. An estimated 400,000 to 800,000 women have an abortion each year in Brazil — the vast majority of them illegal. According to Health Ministry statistics, more than 200 women died in 2015 after abortions. (Victor Moriyama / Getty Images)

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Roberta Cardoso recalls her experience: as she waited to abort her accidental pregnancy at an upscale clinic, she met women with pregnancies from relationships with drug bosses; out of wedlock and some too wracked with emotion to voice themselves. “At that moment I probably knew much more about their stories than their families did,” Cardoso, 26, said during an interview with The Associated Press. (Renanta Brito / AP)

Updated on Jan 08, 2018 08:32 AM IST

Roberta Cardoso recalls her experience: as she waited to abort her accidental pregnancy at an upscale clinic, she met women with pregnancies from relationships with drug bosses; out of wedlock and some too wracked with emotion to voice themselves. “At that moment I probably knew much more about their stories than their families did,” Cardoso, 26, said during an interview with The Associated Press. (Renanta Brito / AP)

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Feminist groups march against the government on Women's Day 2017. Brazil is signatory to the American Human Rights Convention which grants the right to life to human embryos. Abortion can only be performed here when a woman’s life is at risk, when she has been raped or when the fetus has a fatal brain abnormality called anencephaly. (Victor Moriyama / Getty Images)

Updated on Jan 08, 2018 08:32 AM IST

Feminist groups march against the government on Women's Day 2017. Brazil is signatory to the American Human Rights Convention which grants the right to life to human embryos. Abortion can only be performed here when a woman’s life is at risk, when she has been raped or when the fetus has a fatal brain abnormality called anencephaly. (Victor Moriyama / Getty Images)

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Women’s activists march for pro-choice rights on September 28, 2017 in Rio de Janeiro. More than 170 women, including prominent actresses, directors and academics, have signed a manifesto declaring publicly that they had abortions. Thousands have also taken to the streets to protest attempts to further restrict abortion, and more than 34,000 have signed petitions sent to Congress. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

Updated on Jan 08, 2018 08:32 AM IST

Women’s activists march for pro-choice rights on September 28, 2017 in Rio de Janeiro. More than 170 women, including prominent actresses, directors and academics, have signed a manifesto declaring publicly that they had abortions. Thousands have also taken to the streets to protest attempts to further restrict abortion, and more than 34,000 have signed petitions sent to Congress. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

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When the Anis-Bioethics Institute, an NGO for women’s issues, called on Facebook asking for women to tell their stories, 110 came forward in just 19 days. Rebeca Mendes was among them. The NGO filed an urgent request with the Supreme Court to terminate her six-week pregnancy, drawing national attention and putting a face to its quest to legalize abortion. The petition was denied and Mendes had the procedure legally in Colombia. (Andre Penner / AP)

Updated on Jan 08, 2018 08:32 AM IST

When the Anis-Bioethics Institute, an NGO for women’s issues, called on Facebook asking for women to tell their stories, 110 came forward in just 19 days. Rebeca Mendes was among them. The NGO filed an urgent request with the Supreme Court to terminate her six-week pregnancy, drawing national attention and putting a face to its quest to legalize abortion. The petition was denied and Mendes had the procedure legally in Colombia. (Andre Penner / AP)

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The wave of public testimony amplifies a debate, where conservatives fear the Supreme Court could legalize the procedure and women’s activists fear Congress may roll back the already limited reproductive rights. In November 2016, a Supreme Court justice wrote that criminalizing first-trimester abortions violated women’s fundamental rights, a decision that granted the habeas corpus release of two people accused of running an abortion clinic. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

Updated on Jan 08, 2018 08:32 AM IST

The wave of public testimony amplifies a debate, where conservatives fear the Supreme Court could legalize the procedure and women’s activists fear Congress may roll back the already limited reproductive rights. In November 2016, a Supreme Court justice wrote that criminalizing first-trimester abortions violated women’s fundamental rights, a decision that granted the habeas corpus release of two people accused of running an abortion clinic. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

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Activists march for pro-choice rights in Rio de Janeiro. Hours after the decision, Congress created a special commission to clarify the law. It proposed amending Brazil’s constitution to state that protections for life begin at conception. Lawmaker Sostenes Cavalcante said it would be supported by all “who believe in life” and opposed by those “who want to kill the defenceless.” (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

Updated on Jan 08, 2018 08:32 AM IST

Activists march for pro-choice rights in Rio de Janeiro. Hours after the decision, Congress created a special commission to clarify the law. It proposed amending Brazil’s constitution to state that protections for life begin at conception. Lawmaker Sostenes Cavalcante said it would be supported by all “who believe in life” and opposed by those “who want to kill the defenceless.” (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

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A woman wears a shirt with text reading “If not me, who? If not today, when? To be a woman is to battle!” during the annual “Slut Walk” along Copacabana beach. Jefferson Drezett, who runs the abortion and sexual violence response department at Perola Byington state hospital, said abortion services are already insufficient for women who seek them legally, for reasons ranging from poor management to pressure from politicians and religious groups. (Leo Correa / AP)

Updated on Jan 08, 2018 08:32 AM IST

A woman wears a shirt with text reading “If not me, who? If not today, when? To be a woman is to battle!” during the annual “Slut Walk” along Copacabana beach. Jefferson Drezett, who runs the abortion and sexual violence response department at Perola Byington state hospital, said abortion services are already insufficient for women who seek them legally, for reasons ranging from poor management to pressure from politicians and religious groups. (Leo Correa / AP)

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Support for legal abortions has been rising, though most Brazilians still oppose them. A Datafolha survey released December 31 said 36% of Brazilians were in favor of decriminalizing abortion, up from 23% in 2016. But 57% were still against the procedure. (Victor Moriyama / Getty Images)

Updated on Jan 08, 2018 08:32 AM IST

Support for legal abortions has been rising, though most Brazilians still oppose them. A Datafolha survey released December 31 said 36% of Brazilians were in favor of decriminalizing abortion, up from 23% in 2016. But 57% were still against the procedure. (Victor Moriyama / Getty Images)

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Among those seeking fewer restrictions is Raissa Arruda, a 30-year-old artist. She was 18 when she learnt she was pregnant, and her mother didn’t talk to her after finding out. Arruda eventually had a miscarriage after several painful weeks of feeling judged. When she got pregnant again a month later, the shame kept her shut. “I’ve lost the shame around speaking out... I think we need to speak, so we can decriminalize it,” she said. (Leo Correa / AP)

Updated on Jan 08, 2018 08:32 AM IST

Among those seeking fewer restrictions is Raissa Arruda, a 30-year-old artist. She was 18 when she learnt she was pregnant, and her mother didn’t talk to her after finding out. Arruda eventually had a miscarriage after several painful weeks of feeling judged. When she got pregnant again a month later, the shame kept her shut. “I’ve lost the shame around speaking out... I think we need to speak, so we can decriminalize it,” she said. (Leo Correa / AP)

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Djacelina dos Prazeres Chrispim, 42, also decided to share her story: Choosing to abort 15 years ago as a black woman who had a turbulent childhood, she said she didn’t want to bring a child into a world she feared dealt in racism and exclusion. “A woman only has an abortion because she needs to,” said the food activist. “When people speak, it demystifies it.” (Victor Moriyama / Getty Images)

Updated on Jan 08, 2018 08:32 AM IST

Djacelina dos Prazeres Chrispim, 42, also decided to share her story: Choosing to abort 15 years ago as a black woman who had a turbulent childhood, she said she didn’t want to bring a child into a world she feared dealt in racism and exclusion. “A woman only has an abortion because she needs to,” said the food activist. “When people speak, it demystifies it.” (Victor Moriyama / Getty Images)

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