UN: Zika Virus Should Spark Review Of Birth Control Access

Isabela Cristina, 18, who is six months pregnant, shows a photo of her ultrasound at the IMIP hospital in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016. Isabela Cristina was struck with Zika and was worri... Isabela Cristina, 18, who is six months pregnant, shows a photo of her ultrasound at the IMIP hospital in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016. Isabela Cristina was struck with Zika and was worried about the health of her bay, but her baby's ultrasound scan and other exams turned up normal. Brazil is in the midst of a Zika virus outbreak, spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is well-adapted to humans, thrives in people's homes and can breed in even a bottle cap's-worth of stagnant water. The virus is suspected to be linked with occurrences of microcephaly in new born babies. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) MORE LESS

LONDON (AP) — The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights says laws and policies that restrict access to birth control services must be repealed amid the explosive outbreak of the Zika virus in the Americas, which has been linked to an increase in the number of babies born with abnormally small heads.

In a statement issued on Friday, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said the advice of some governments to women to delay getting pregnant “ignores the reality” that many women have little control over the circumstances in which that happens.

To date, the mosquito-borne virus has spread to more than 20 countries in the Americas, including some where sexual violence is rampant, Al Hussein said. He called for laws restricting access to sexual and reproductive health services to be urgently reviewed.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  1. Avatar for fgs fgs says:

    It’s kind of sad that it takes a disfiguring virus to get someone to suggest maybe someone ought to spark a review. Birth control should be considered a basic human right. Governments should be considered failures or worse, everywhere it’s not readily available.

  2. Oh boy, here it comes.

    Republicans, anti-choicers, alleged Christians and other RW’ers will claim this is all a pro-choice, Democratic, Obama-inspired conspiracy to prevent the closing of PP sites, allow all forms and times of abortion and generally reduce the USA down to Sodom & Gomorrah levels!

    Watch for it in 3-2-1…

  3. Avatar for imkmu3 imkmu3 says:

    Hell, they do that when speaking against the HPV vaccine.

  4. Please proceed, “pro-lifers.”

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