Abortion activists in Brazil had to travel overseas to terminate the pregnancy

Rebeca Mendes battled for the right to an abortion in Brazil after she became pregnant. She rushed to Colombia in 2017 to end her pregnancy after the Supreme Court rejected her bid to legalize it.

In a nation where abortions are only permitted in cases of rape, fetal malformation, or when the mother’s life is in danger, she is now an advocate for the right to safe and legal abortions.

The outlook is not favorable. Last week, a committee in Brazil’s conservative-led Congress approved a constitutional amendment that would outright forbid abortion and make it unlawful in all three of those situations.

One of the few hospitals in Brazil that legally conducted abortions in very rare circumstances, even for pregnancies longer than 22 weeks, was told to cease by the mayor’s office in Sao Paulo, the country’s largest city.

At a public hearing held by the municipal council last week, ladies loudly protested this and demanded that the service at the Cachoeirinha Municipal Maternity Hospital continue.

Mendes bemoaned how Brazilian hospitals reveal their medical records to the authorities rather than working with women who want legal abortions.

At the hearing, she told Reuters, “The situation is much worse than we thought, because these women are being investigated.”

“Medical records that are being violated and women are being reported to the police for having a legal abortion.”

Mendes claimed that women in need of legal abortions were being ignored by Sao Paulo’s abortion services, which were failing to fulfill their duties.

“We get daily reports of girls and women who go to seek legal abortions here in the city and they hear nonsense from the hospital staff that appear to act like the police,” she stated.

Mendes recalls how kind the hospital staff was and how simple it was to seek an abortion in Bogota, Colombia.

“I recall discussing my alternatives and treatment plan with the doctor. After then, it happened, and it happened fast,” she remarked.

“He said, ‘It’s over,’ after glancing at me. After that, I started crying uncontrollably. You know, it was a cry of relief. I finally got what I wanted, so it’s over.”

Mendes claimed she would have been forced to turn to covert clinics in Brazil, where abortions are occasionally performed incorrectly, killing the victim.

Inspired by her experience, Mendes founded Project Vivas, a voluntary organization that assists women seeking safe abortions in Brazil or elsewhere. According to its website, her group has helped 407 women and girls, opens new tab.