A study led by researcher Luiza Eunice Sá da Silva from ICEH revealed that 11,607 births annually in Brazil result from the rape of vulnerable minors.

Data from the Sistema de Informação sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC) from 2020 to 2022 also showed that 30% of all adolescents up to 19 years old began antenatal care after the first trimester of pregnancy, with the percentage being even higher (40%) among girls under 14. This delay contradicts the guidelines of the World Health Organization and the Brazilian Ministry of Health, which recommend that antenatal care begin within the first trimester of pregnancy.

The author highlights that "The study reveals that almost one in three adolescents victims of the crime of rape begins antenatal care late, impacting not only the health of the mother and baby but also the reproductive health options for these girls."

The findings draw attention to inequalities in the initiation of antenatal care based on geographic region, race/skin color, and the girls' education level.

The North region has the highest proportion of late initiation, reaching almost 50% among adolescents up to 14 years old. In contrast, the Southeast region still shows the best results, with 33% late starts.

Indigenous girls, especially in the North and Central-West regions, present the highest rate of late antenatal care, with 49% for those aged 14 or younger. In comparison, white adolescents have the lowest proportion of late initiation (34%).

Regarding education, fewer than four years of formal schooling were associated with higher levels of late initiation among girls under 14, at 49%.

According to the authors, the analyses show that inequalities based on age, region, race, and education intersect, representing various vulnerabilities.

Another relevant finding is that 14%, or one in seven adolescents, began antenatal care after 22 weeks of pregnancy—additional evidence against legislative proposals aiming to criminalize abortion after this period.

"The data clearly show that limiting the timeframe for legal abortions punishes the victims, disregarding the reality of young girls who already live in extreme vulnerability," comments epidemiologist and co-author of the study, Cesar Victora.

This comprehensive investigation provides key evidence to reconsidering access to adequate antenatal care for Brazilian adolescents. Its results recommend strengthening public policies on sexual education, improving the healthcare system for timely antenatal care services, and increasing the dissemination of information about sexual and reproductive rights, emphasizing the importance of data-based studies to support effective and inclusive public health policy discussions.

The article has already been published in preprint format and accepted for publication in the Revista Ciência e Saúde Coletiva.