Latin America and search for assisted reproduction: The patient profile at a public reference in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Abstract

Objective: This study aims at defining the patients' profile at a public hospital, reference in Rio de Janeiro. Method: This descriptive, transversal study, takes a quantitative approach. of 20% of the total of 1617 files of patients on first consultation. They were randomly selected. The data were registered and analyzed by Excel/ Office 2003 e SPSS version 13.0 software. Results and conclusion: The profile of those patients reveals iniquities related to the right to reproductive health. The majority (73,2%) do not have children, although they were in reproductive age (63.9% between 26 and 35 years). 65,8% searched for treatment around 3-8 years and 69.9% have been conducted by the Brazilian public health system (SUS). Diagnostics' frequencies analysis shows a high incidence of tuboperitoneal factor (35,1%), as a consequence of low socioeconomic level and/or the lack/ deficiency of primary care to popular classes. These results point the necessity of development of public politics aiming at equity in reproductive health, making possible the way to the effective democratization of social life.