Resumo: Introdução: A legislação não permite a interrupção da gestação em casos de malformações fetais incompatíveis com a vida extra-uterina, cabendo ao Poder Judiciário decidir quando há uma solicitação deste tipo. Objetivos: Investigar a opinião de Magistrados e membros do Ministério Público sobre o abortamento nos casos de malformações fetais incompatíveis com a vida extra-uterina, especialmente em relação à anencefalia. Método: Análise parcial de dados obtidos em duas pesquisas realizadas pelo Centro de Pesquisas em Saúde Reprodutiva de Campinas (CEMICAMP), que objetivaram estudar a opinião destes profissionais acerca do aborto induzido. Foram obtidos dados de 1493 Magistrados e 2614 Promotores de Justiça. Foi constituído um banco de dados com as informações de interesse das pesquisas originais, analisado com auxílio do programa estatístico SAS versão 9.02, envolvendo análise bivariada e múltipla, por regressão logística. Resultados: Para 78,5% dos Magistrados e 82,6% dos membros do Ministério Público, a interrupção da gestação deveria ser permitida nos casos de qualquer malformação fetal incompatível com a vida extra-uterina. Em casos de diagnóstico de anencefalia, estes valores foram de 79,2% e 84,1%, respectivamente. Na análise multivariada, as variáveis associadas à opinião dos pesquisados foram a religiosidade, importância da religião e das concepções religiosas pessoais sobre as respostas dadas, experiência de gravidez indesejada que resultou em aborto, sexo, estado marital e o fato de possuir filhos. Conclusões: A grande maioria dos Magistrados e membros do Ministério Público foi favorável ao abortamento nas hipóteses estudadas, sendo as variáveis ligadas à religião as que mais influenciaram seu posicionamento Ver menos

Abstract: Introduction: In Brazil abortion in cases of fetal malformation or anencephaly is prohibited by law. Pregnant women who want to perform an abortion in such cases must seek for a judicial order. Objectives: Evaluate the opinion of brazilian magistrates and Prosecutors about abortion in cases of fetal malformation incompatible with life and anencephaly. Methodology: It was a partial data analysis from data obtained in two researchs carried out by Centro de Pesquisas em Saúde Reprodutiva de Campinas (CEMICAMP ), to evaluate the opinion and conduct of these professionals about induced abortion. There were data from 1453 Magistrates and 2614 Prosecutors. It was made a data bank with data from the original studies, that was processed and analyzed using the statistical package SAS version 9.02. Results: For 78.5% of the Magistrates and 82.6% of the Prosecutors abortion should be permitted in cases of severe fetal malformation incompatible with life. In cases of anencephaly abortion should be permitted for 79.2% of the Magistrates and for 84.1% of the Prosecutors. Religiosity, influence of religion and personal religious convictions among responses, experience with unwanted pregnancy that ended in abortion, gender, marital status and the fact of having children had shown, in multivariable analysis, association with the opinion about abortion in the hypothesis studied. Conclusion: The great majority of Magistrates and Prosecutors had a favorable opinion about abortion in both hypothesis evaluated. Variables associated with religion had the strongest association with the opinion about abortion in cases of fetal malformation and anencephaly.Abstract: Introduction: In Brazil abortion in cases of fetal malformation or anencephaly is prohibited by law. Pregnant women who want to perform an abortion in such cases must seek for a judicial order. Objectives: Evaluate the opinion of brazilian magistrates and Prosecutors about abortion in cases of fetal malformation incompatible with life and anencephaly. Methodology: It was a partial data analysis from data obtained in two researchs carried out by Centro de Pesquisas em Saúde Reprodutiva de Campinas (CEMICAMP ), to evaluate the opinion and conduct of these professionals about induced abortion. There were data from 1453 Magistrates and 2614 Prosecutors. It was made a data bank with data from the original studies, that was processed and analyzed using the statistical package SAS version 9.02. Results: For 78.5% of the Magistrates and 82.6% of the Prosecutors abortion should be permitted in cases of severe fetal malformation incompatible with life. In cases of anencephaly abortion should be permitted for 79.2% of the Magistrates and for 84.1% of the Prosecutors. Religiosity, influence of religion and personal religious convictions among responses, experience with unwanted pregnancy that ended in abortion, gender, marital status and the fact of having children had shown, in multivariable analysis, association with the opinion about abortion in the hypothesis studied. Conclusion: The great majority of Magistrates and Prosecutors had a favorable opinion about abortion in both hypothesis evaluated. Variables associated with religion had the strongest association with the opinion about abortion in cases of fetal malformation and anencephaly Ver menos