The United Nations on Friday urged countries hit by the dangerous Zika virus to let women have access to contraception and abortion.

The UN human rights office said the South American countries now urging women to hold off getting pregnant over Zika fears had to offer them the possibility of controlling their fertility.

“How can they ask these women not to become pregnant, but not offer... the possibility to stop their pregnancies?” spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly told reporters. Many of these countries are conservative Catholic and have very restrictive abortion and contraceptive laws.

An exploding number of cases of Zika virus – believed to cause a condition called microcephaly in which babies are born with abnormally small heads – have prompted several countries and territories in Latin America to warn women to avoid getting pregnant.

But UN human rights chief UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said this warning meant little in countries that ban or heavily restrict access to reproductive health services like contraception and abortion. “The advice of some governments to women to delay getting pregnant ignores the reality that many women and girls simply cannot exercise control over whether or when or under what circumstances they become pregnant, especially in an environment where sexual violence is so common.”

“In situations where sexual violence is rampant, and sexual and reproductive health services are criminalised, or simply unavailable, efforts to halt this crisis will not be enhanced by placing the focus on advising women and girls not to become pregnant,” he said. Instead, he insisted that governments must “ensure women, men and adolescents have access to comprehensive and affordable quality sexual and reproductive health services.” — AFP

Many of the affected countries are Catholic and have restrictive abortion laws
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/un-asks-zikahit-nations-to-allow-abortion/article8200214.ece

Those countries are predominantly Catholic, they will never agree to abortion. Not getting pregnant us not an option either.

Second to comment... BTW






























this plot of land is not for sale

Ok

Ok

The way the current Brazil carnival will spread zika will be astronomical... All those thirsty tourists with those Brazilian bubble booty

Owk

All I know is that the Devil is a Liar hmm!

Well rather than make em live a miserable life..i kinda think they should abort as quick as possible..only in this instance do i permit it..
It shouldnt be leglised.
This may just be a ploy to legalise abortion


Somebody somewhere is playing the role of God in this world..smh!

dominique:
Those countries are predominantly Catholic, they will never agree to abortion. Not getting pregnant us not an option either.

Then they might have a new generation full of small head people

if it can be detected that the pregnancy is affected by Zika am not against terminating the pregnancy


but still it should be prevented other than aborting

may god help and protect us all... every year na naw virus.

ah

Ok

WTF

I really don't understand what this world is turning into. One might also be tempted to be happy that this virus was not discovered first in Africa otherwise every country, including some "third world" countries will be issuing travel bans here and there.

Licence granted! Young girls where are you

Reduction in world population

The end is truly near, it is well

Abortion is evil!!! Proudly ProLife.

With only about 400 recorded cases of microcephaly in millions of birth, how can abortion be justified.

If dem no gree contraceptive, if dem no gree abortion, make UN leave them now make dem dey born abirun I hate when you advice people for their own good an they still prove adamant

any time I hear about all this virus I just become a conspiracy theorist in my thinkings

This will create controversy

TLisieux:
Abortion is evil!!! Proudly ProLife.

Said Hitler ,Pol Pot and their likes mom!!!!

Population control shit, so Chris brown was right.

TLisieux:
Abortion is evil!!! Proudly ProLife.

we know but we talking about a virus

INTROVERT:
The way the current Brazil carnival will spread zika will be astronomical... All those thirsty tourists with those Brazilian bubble booty

you sure say u be woman so

They should just live an OkadaLifestyle in those countries with Zika-V

UrbanMystique:
Reduction in world population

what is wrong with world population we talking about a virus here dummy