Article 12 of the law prohibits collective or individual encouragement or inducement of surgical sterilization. Another serious health problem affecting Brazilian women is the practice of illegal abortions, which constitute the third cause of maternal mortality in Brazil. Beccause abortion is illegal and family planning services are not widely available, clandestine clinics have proliferated in the country. These secrete clinics represent a great risk, especially given their generally abysmal sanitary conditions. Women are often mistreated, and do not receive adequate guidance or gynecological exams, even in cases of sexual violence.
Reports also reveal lack of privacy during examinations, and even sexual abuse by doctors.
Another serious violation of women s rights is sexual exploitation of women and girls, as well as sexual tourism, which occurs especially in the Northeastern coastal states, involving drug dealers, hotel managers, cab drivers, and travel agents, often with the complicity of the police. A significant percentage of the clients of this sex trade are foreigners. In 1998, the Ministry of Health afforded special treatment to the issue of sexual violence, with the creation of the Technical Norms of Sexual Violence, and their broad dissemination in 1999 and 2000. However, the lack of coordination between the police and the health system, in addition to critical reactions to the Technical Norms from conservative sectors have undermined this project. The difficulty of obtaining reliable and representative data for the year 2000 must be noted.