Delivery in Adoption: Comparisons of Models and Reflections in a Gender Perspective

Abstract

According to Brazilian law, when a woman wants to relinquish a baby for adoption, she must be heard through qualified counseling by a multidisciplinary team. In other countries, there are more problematic ways to give children up for adoption, such as anonymous births and safe havens or baby boxes. In those models, women become invisible, and the lack of medical and healthcare support is a problem. Such models influence public debate and are used as an argumentative resource against women's reproductive freedoms, since they represent an “alternative” for pregnant women who do not wish to become mothers. Although not included in our legal system, these models have already been presented in legislative proposals. Also, they are sometimes defended by legal studies, which represents a risk to reproductive justice. This article questions these formats, based on a critical approach and on an analysis of international literature on the subject. It is demonstrated that these models do not support the interests of the adopted person, but rather those of the adoptive family.