Zika Virus Debate: Should Abortion Laws In Latin America Be Lifted?

Latin America has been hit the hardest by the Zika Virus outbreak, which is linked to the development of birth defects. Because of this, a debate has been going on between people who want to loosen up some of the laws against abortion and people who are against abortion despite the circumstances.

The Washington Post reports that the health minister in El Salvador is proposing to revise the law because of the harmful effects of Zika virus on the fetus inside a mother's womb. "El Salvador criminalizes abortion on all grounds including cases of rape or even if the mother's life and health are both at risks," Vocativ reported.

It also stated that in Colombia, some government officials have already joined forces with a movement to allow abortion despite opposition from religious organizations, especially the Catholic Church. In Brazil, illegal abortions are on the rise because of the panic caused by the Zika virus.

Columnist Hélio Schwartsman wrote in the daily newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo that all mothers should be allowed to follow their own instincts. "If I were a woman, had just got pregnant and discovered that I had been infected by the Zika virus, I would not hesitate an instant to abort the gestation."

Some Latin American governments have encouraged couples to avoid pregnancy for a couple of months to a few years through the use of different birth control methods. However, Catholic-dominated regions have little access to birth control methods and contraceptives such as condoms and pills.

The main reason why the Zika virus outbreak has many health experts and women requesting for abortion is because of the effects of the virus on the development of fetus. Zika has been linked to the development of microcephaly, which is a birth defect that involves brain and head deformities, according to Huffington Post.