STIGMA RELATED TO ABORTION: An approach from healthcare personnel in Caracas, Venezuela

Venezuela has one of the most restrictive legal frameworks in Latin America regarding access to abortion. The voluntary termination of pregnancy is illegal and punishable by law, with the sole exception of saving the mother's life. Within this legally and culturally criminalised context, profound Abortion-Related Stigma (ARS) is promoted, resulting in the silencing of the practice and the limitation of women's access to care. This is despite the fact that post-abortion medical care is formally guaranteed with the aim of preventing maternal mortality. This paper constitutes a contribution to a research agenda that aims to address the paucity of academic discourse on the subject of abortion in Venezuela. The study focuses on the role of health personnel in the reproduction or mitigation of stigma. The objective of the present study is to analyse the prevalence of stigmatising practices and their impact on care. To this end, an exploratory qualitative investigation is proposed, utilising semi-structured interviews with gynaecologist-obstetricians, residents and anaesthetists in Caracas (2021-2025). The central dimension of analysis is naturalised obstetric violence, understood as the set of practices involving mistreatment, denial, or dehumanising treatment in the context of post-abortion care. The present study will investigate the manner in which the internalisation of ARS, in conjunction with gender stereotypes and roles, permeates the attitude and disposition of health personnel. The present study makes a contribution to the field of politics and gender by examining how a restrictive legal framework (structural/political factor) exacerbates ARS, impacting institutional practices (obstetric violence) and the exercise of women's reproductive autonomy. The results of this analysis are crucial for the promotion of legal reforms and public policies that guarantee women's right to health care free from stigma and violence.