The Zika virus, primarily transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitos, can cause serious neurological conditions in fetuses and newborns such as microcephaly. The history of the Zika virus dates back to the mid-twentieth century when the first human case was discovered in Uganda. After spreading to equatorial Asia, the first large Zika outbreak in humans occurred in the Federated States of Micronesia. Since then, the rapid spread of Zika has been tracked throughout countries in Asia and, most recently, in the Americas. While mainly transmitted by the mosquito vector, the Zika virus can also be transmitted through sexual contact.
The link between Zika and microcephaly, a birth defect characterized by inadequate perinatal brain development, has led public health professionals to prioritize preventing Zika transmission to pregnant women and from pregnant women to offspring. Microcephaly is a lifelong condition with no known treatment or cure that is characterized by smaller heads in babies and other severe conditions such as seizures, developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, hearing loss and problems with vision, feeding and movement.
Given the risks, some Zika-affected countries have recommended that women postpone pregnancy by abstaining from sexual intercourse or using contraceptives. Such policies challenge women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights and can exacerbate existing inequities. Women of low socioeconomic status and in low-resource settings are at a higher risk of being exposed to the Zika virus and of having an unplanned pregnancy as they tend to lack access to quality family planning, a full range of safe and legal pregnancy options and antenatal care services.
Thus, the Zika epidemic has highlighted issues regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights and inequities in access to services, providing a unique opportunity to identify the most vulnerable populations and to improve not just the health of pregnant women and newborns, but also of women more generally.
|
|
