Revista da EMERJ - V. 20 - N. 78

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R. EMERJ, Rio de Janeiro, v. 20, n. 78, p. 9 - 38, Janeiro/Abril 2017

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Palavras-chave:

Brasil; descriminalização; aborto;

constitucionalida-

de; direito à saúde; autonomia da mulher.

Key-words:

Brazil, decriminalisation, abortion, constitutionality, right

to health, woman´s autonomy.

Abstract:

This paper discusses the (un) constitutionality of the decriminali-

zation of the voluntary termination of pregnancy in Brazil concerning the legal

protection of human life, the right to health, especially psychological health,

and women’s sexual and reproductive rights. To do so, it seeks support in com-

parative law to verify how the United States, France and Portugal have dealt, or

still deal, with this issue. In addition, since in Brazil the prohibition of voluntary

termination of pregnancy does not prevent its practice, leading more than 1

million women, every year, to clandestine abortion, we believe that an inter-

pretation of the Constitution in the sense of decriminalization may reduce the

discrepancy between current legal norms and social practices, granting human

rights status to woman’s right to decide on her own body, as well as contribute

to the construction of a more dignified social reality and law.

Sumário:

Introdução – 1. A interrupção voluntária da gravidez no Brasil:

comportamento social diante da atual criminalização; 1.1. Breves comen-

tários sobre o desenvolvimento legislativo do tema; 2. Análise do debate

constitucional da interrupção voluntária da gravidez no Brasil e no Direi-

to Comparado; 2.1 Proteção jurídica da vida humana intrauterina; 2.2. O

direito à saúde; 2.3. O direito da mulher de decidir sobre o próprio corpo.

Considerações finais. Referências bibliográficas

Summary:

Introduction - 1. The voluntary termination of pregnancy in

Brazil: social behaviour considering the current criminalization law; 1.1.

Brief comments on the legislative development of the topic; 2. Analysis of

the constitutional debate on the voluntary termination of pregnancy in Bra-

zil and in Comparative Law; 2.1 Legal protection of intrauterine human life;

2.2. The right to health; 2.3. A woman’s right to have control over her own

body. Final considerations. Bibliographical references

Introdução

Ao redor do globo, as discussões relacionadas com o tratamento jurídi-

co que deve ser conferido à interrupção voluntária da gravidez

são marcadas

1 Neste estudo, a utilização do termo interrupção voluntária da gravidez ou da sigla IVG guia-se pela escolha semântica