[Medico-legal implications of pregnancy]. / Implicacoes medico-legais da gravidez.

PIP: The various reasons that prompt some women to simulate or dissimulate pregnancy are discussed (e.g., pregnancy may be simulated in order to obtain a leave of absence from work, or can be dissimulated for fear of its negative social consequences). Physicians should consider the possibility of such simulation or dissimulation in examining women to determine pregnancy. As pregnancy progresses, a competent physician is always able to diagnose it, even without the aid of laboratory tests. It is pointed out that the fact that the hymen is intact does not necessarily rule out the possibility of pregnancy, as observed by the author in several cases.^ieng