Pregnancy on the streets: the difficulties faced by homeless pregnant women in Brazil

Abstract

The article aimed to understand violence against women and homelessness in the experience of pregnancy, childbirth, puerperium and the right to motherhood. Seeking tounderstand how women deal with this type of violence and the need for public policies andstrategies that guarantee their rights and promote their protection and dignity. An integrativeliterature review was carried out, from August to November 2024, in the Virtual Health Library (VHL) database. According to the descriptors used and after the filter guided by theinclusion criteria, 23 results were found. However, only 7 fit the established eligibility criteriaand comprised the final sample. The studies analyzed highlight challenges faced by homelesswomen, related to violence and social vulnerability, such as precarious health care, in pregnancy, in addition to the need for more effective and humanized public policies. Allstudies reinforce the urgency of integrated actions that address health, gender andmarginalization, in addition to equal access to essential services. The review reported here isof fundamental importance, given the need for new studies that expand this theme and ensurevisibility for this population segment.