Abortion Activists Attempt to Use Zika Virus Outbreak to Legalize Abortion

Jonathan Abbamonte
Population Research Institiute

The rapid spread of the Zika virus in the Western Hemisphere has many expectant mothers in hard-hit countries deeply concerned. Abortion activists have seized upon this public health crisis to argue that all unborn children who may have been exposed to the virus should be aborted.

Very rarely hazardous to children or adults, Zika temporarily causes itchy rashes, joint pain and conjunctivitis. In rare cases, it can cause a bout of Guillain-Barré syndrome. But recently Zika has been linked to microcephaly, a birth defect that has devastating effects on fetal brain and cranial development.

Since May of last year, reported cases have skyrocketed in Brazil and have spread to countries across Central and South America and the Caribbean. The World Health Organization (WHO) now estimates that up to 4 million people could become infected by the end of 2016. This past Monday, the WHO declared the Zika outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Instead of advocating for solutions to fight against the spread of the virus, some are seeking to play into fears and exploit the crisis by advancing the legalization of abortion in Latin American countries.

According to reports from the BBC, pro-abortion advocates are preparing to petition Brazil’s highest court to legalize abortion in cases where women may have contracted the virus.

Read more HERE.

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