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The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence of pregnancy and abortion experience, along with associated factors among street children, adolescents and youths in Porto Alegre and Rio Grande, RS, Brazil. The sampling method in this cross-sectional study was Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS), innovative in research about hidden populations. Interviews were conducted with 307 subjects, aged 10 to 21 years. In multivariate analysis, Poisson regression with a robust error variance was used. Most of this sample were males, with no contact with school and family. Almost half of the participants had been on the street for five years or more, spending more than 15 hours per day on the streets. The prevalence of pregnancy experience was 29.3%, independently associated with being a girl, having 10 sexual partners or more in the last year, having a fixed sexual partner in the last year, and being older. The prevalence of abortion experience was 10.4%, independently associated with not living with the family, having more than two pregnancies, and being younger. The high prevalence of pregnancy and abortion experience highlights the need for the development of better sexual and reproductive health policies focused on this population.

The aim of this article was to examine historical aspects related to the feminine and to being a mother for deepening the comprehension of motherhood in the context of HIV/Aids infection. We reviewed the traditional role of the woman in society, showing the historical division between the mother, deserving respect and consideration, and the prostitute, marginalized and not worth of respect. In this context, we discuss the sexually transmitted diseases and the social reactions toward these infections in women, especially as refers to motherhood in the context of HIV/Aids infection. The paper emphasizes the presence of socially constructed beliefs about women's behaviors as a factor hampering an effective prevention of STD/HIV/AIDS in women and the great need for reflecting about the strategies for prevention and care.