Opinion: What Arizonans can learn from Brazil’s near-total abortion ban

“Neither imprisoned nor dead.” This is the powerful translation of Nem Presa, Nem Morta, the name of an advocacy organization that is leading the resistance against anti-abortion laws in Brazil. In a country with a near-total ban, this is more than a name, it is a rallying cry against restrictions that can lead to jail time and death. 

I met them, and other activists, on a legislative delegation to Brazil made possible by the State Innovation Exchange and the Women’s Equality Center. Why should a State Senator from Arizona care about abortion policy in Latin America when our state just passed Prop. 139 to enshrine a right to abortion in the state constitution?  Because by strengthening connections between the U.S. and Brazil, we can exchange strategies and deepen our understanding of how to stand in resistance to protect each other across the globe. 

Here are four ways:.

1. Even when abortion is deemed legal, barriers still exist, and access is still denied. 

Abortion is only permitted in Brazil under three very narrow circumstances: rape, to protect the pregnant person’s life, or fetal anencephaly. And even then, under these so-called exceptions to the ban, legal abortions are often denied. For example, under Brazilian law, girls under 14 should be legally entitled to an abortion as victims of statutory rape. Yet, police often interrogate these victims and demand proof of whether the date of the attack lines up with the gestational age. And, few hospitals provide legal abortions making it a challenge to even get to a clinic.

Similarly, pregnant Arizonans may experience delays to abortion care even though voters overwhelmingly enshrined a right to abortion in the state constitution. More than 40 abortion restrictions are still law here. I introduced SB 1553 to repeal most of these restrictions. Republicans in the Legislature refused to give it a hearing. One of these restrictions forces patients to make two trips at least 24-hours apart before getting an abortion, a challenge for low-income patients who have to request off work or rural patients who must travel hours to the nearest clinic. In both countries, legal does not mean accessible or available.

• Banning medication abortion endangers patients, and some Arizona politicians want that

Activists for reproductive freedom in Brazil were the first to use misoprostol, a medication that can be used to safely self-manage abortions. Misoprostol is now used worldwide. In the United States, it is most often administered along with another FDA-approved drug, mifepristone. Despite its history of effective use, misoprostol is treated like contraband in Brazil which empowers drug traffickers and adds unnecessary risk to an otherwise safe medication. Some patients fear going to a doctor if they experience a rare complication from medication purchased off the streets. The threat of criminalization doesn’t stop people from making the personal, private decision to end a pregnancy. Instead, they are forced to risk their safety. 

This reality in Brazil is the future that far-right extremists in Arizona want for us. This year, Rep. Rachel Keshel(R) introduced HB 2681 to further restrict access to medication abortion by adding medically unnecessary requirements. Even though abortion is safer than childbirth and medication abortion has been FDA approved for more than 25 years, politicians continue to push misinformation to restrict access. 

1. 1. Unlike the U.S., Brazil has universal healthcare, but both countries experience high rates of Black mothers dying from pregnancy
      
      The fight for reproductive justice also includes protecting the health and safety of people who choose to have a child. Brazil has a universal healthcare system. We toured a maternal hospital where patients access contraception, labor and delivery, prenatal and postpartum care, and fertility treatments completely free. Of course, disparities in healthcare quality still exist and disproportionately impact Black women. The maternal mortality rate among Black Brazilians is more than double that of white women. A similar divide exists in Arizona, where Black and Indigenous women die from pregnancy-related causes at disproportionate rates compared to white women. We met with members of Brazil’s congress to discuss policies that can reduce maternal mortality and racial disparities in healthcare. 

• International strategy is fundamental to protect reproductive freedom 

Brazilian politicians, activists, lawyers, and healthcare professionals all shared similar insight into the far-right, extremist ideology that is shaping abortion restrictions in Brazil. Unsurprisingly, the rhetoric is nearly identical to the conservative disinformation efforts in the United States that are catapulting our country into authoritarianism. Global problems need global solutions and state legislators are uniquely positioned to put forward proactive legislation to protect and expand abortion access in our states. That’s how Arizona overturned its 1864 near-total abortion ban after the State Supreme Court gave it a nod of approval in 2024. That ban, had it gone into effect, would have resulted in the exact reproductive healthcare landscape that Brazil is experiencing now. 

As the far-right makes global strides to take humanity backward, we must organize on the ground to combat the misinformation and rapid infringement on our rights. We must stay vigilant, even in states like Arizona where Republican Legislators continue to introduce abortion restrictions even though the abortion access citizens initiative passed overwhelmingly. We are stronger, and we will win, if we are united globally. This trip strengthened my resolve to fight for true reproductive justice in Arizona because all people deserve to choose for themselves when and how to become a parent.