Um olhar interseccional acerca da gestação precoce: análise pelo viés de gênero, raça, classe e sexualidade

Abstract

Adolescent pregnancy is a relevant topic for public health, since its occurrence has biopsychosocial repercussions on the agents involved and affects society. It is also emphasized as a social issue, which is marked, among others, by social, racial, sexual and gender inequalities. For this reason, we sought to analyze early pregnancy and its impacts on the lives of adolescents by utilizing an intersectional analysis, therefore, considering class, race, gender, and sexuality as social markers. The methodological procedure consisted of an analytical-descriptive research, applying a quantitative-qualitative approach. Quantitative data was analyzed using the Excel statistical analysis program, as the qualitative assessment was carried out using the content analysis method. The researched social group consisted of twelve pregnant adolescents, aged between ten and nineteen years old, who were undergoing prenatal care at the Instituto de Saúde Elpídio de Almeida (Elpídio de Almeida Health Institute), sited in the city of Campina Grande/PB. The information was collected between the months of February and May of 2022, in a pandemic period, per recorded and transcribed interviews. The researched data revealed eight thematic categories: 1) “Confirmed pregnancy! Ambivalence of feelings”; 2) “Ongoing pregnancy! What to feel when you are expecting?”; 3) “Being pregnant! How was that possible?”; 4) “Reasons for prenatal care”; 5) “Changes resulting from pregnancy”; 6) “Are you ready to be a mother?”; 7) “Pregnancy, maternity and prospects for the future”; 8) “The quadruple of oppression: gender, race, class and sexuality”. We concluded that: the adolescents declared themselves to be cisgender and heterosexual women; brown color as race self-declaration, by the majority; belonging to social class with family income no higher than two minimum wages; did not drop out of studies; sexual initiation occurred early; most of them did not plan the pregnancy; contraceptive methods, when used, were the woman's responsibility; although unplanned, they decided to continue with the pregnancy; there were changes in the life course of this group; with the discovery of the pregnancy, reactions of fear, apprehension, anguish, doubts, as well as happiness; after the first moment, they were involved with feelings of love, care and responsibility, which ended up influencing the acceptance of the pregnancy. Finally, we suggest that civil society, governmental and non-governmental institutions become more interested in the topic addressed, contributing to studies and the realization and investments in actions that promote the rights, autonomy, and empowerment of the teenage public.