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| Brazil’s Abortion Restrictions Compound Challenge of Zika Virus | Brazil’s Abortion Restrictions Compound Challenge of Zika Virus |
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| CAMPINA GRANDE, Brazil — Marina Leite arrived at a hospital from her rural village in February, 28 weeks pregnant and struggling to speak or breathe. | |
| She was carrying double the normal amount of amniotic fluid, a life-threatening complication that, her doctors told her, stemmed from severe fetal deformities linked to the Zika virus. | She was carrying double the normal amount of amniotic fluid, a life-threatening complication that, her doctors told her, stemmed from severe fetal deformities linked to the Zika virus. |
| A week later, Ms. Leite, 35, had an abortion. | A week later, Ms. Leite, 35, had an abortion. |
| “I followed my heart and my doctor’s advice for my survival,” she said. | “I followed my heart and my doctor’s advice for my survival,” she said. |
| In almost all circumstances, abortion is a crime in Brazil, punishable by up to three years in jail. But in Ms. Leite’s case, because of the risk to her health, the abortion was considered legal and the doctor was willing to perform it. | In almost all circumstances, abortion is a crime in Brazil, punishable by up to three years in jail. But in Ms. Leite’s case, because of the risk to her health, the abortion was considered legal and the doctor was willing to perform it. |
| This video documents several challenges facing pregnant women and their doctors in a country where access to legal abortions is severely restricted, and where Zika has compounded fears about birth defects, adding a new layer of health complications. | This video documents several challenges facing pregnant women and their doctors in a country where access to legal abortions is severely restricted, and where Zika has compounded fears about birth defects, adding a new layer of health complications. |
| Well before the rise of Zika, there were as many as 900,000 illegal abortions in Brazil each year, according to current estimates based on a 2013 study. Last year, the number of women who sought medical attention for botched abortions outpaced the number of women who received legal abortions by nearly 100 to one, according to estimates by the country’s Ministry of Health. | Well before the rise of Zika, there were as many as 900,000 illegal abortions in Brazil each year, according to current estimates based on a 2013 study. Last year, the number of women who sought medical attention for botched abortions outpaced the number of women who received legal abortions by nearly 100 to one, according to estimates by the country’s Ministry of Health. |
| The law prohibiting abortions makes exceptions if a woman’s life is at risk, if she was raped, or if the fetus has anencephaly, a rare condition in which part of the brain or skull is missing. There is no exception for microcephaly or other developmental defects caused by Zika. In fact, Brazilian evangelical legislators are considering a bill to increase penalties for women who abort a fetus with microcephaly. | The law prohibiting abortions makes exceptions if a woman’s life is at risk, if she was raped, or if the fetus has anencephaly, a rare condition in which part of the brain or skull is missing. There is no exception for microcephaly or other developmental defects caused by Zika. In fact, Brazilian evangelical legislators are considering a bill to increase penalties for women who abort a fetus with microcephaly. |
| This has not stopped women from seeking relief. A new study by the Guttmacher Institute and the World Health Organization found that abortion is just as prevalent in countries where it is prohibited as it is in countries where abortion is legal. The difference is whether the procedure is safe or not. | This has not stopped women from seeking relief. A new study by the Guttmacher Institute and the World Health Organization found that abortion is just as prevalent in countries where it is prohibited as it is in countries where abortion is legal. The difference is whether the procedure is safe or not. |
| In Brazil, women with money have better chances of finding a person qualified to assist with a clandestine medical procedure. For people who cannot afford black market abortion pills, which carry the added risk of being counterfeit, methods include drinking abortive teas, inserting sharp objects into the uterus and even jumping from roofs. Unsafe abortion is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in Brazil, according to the Health Ministry. | In Brazil, women with money have better chances of finding a person qualified to assist with a clandestine medical procedure. For people who cannot afford black market abortion pills, which carry the added risk of being counterfeit, methods include drinking abortive teas, inserting sharp objects into the uterus and even jumping from roofs. Unsafe abortion is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in Brazil, according to the Health Ministry. |
| In December, a high-ranking Brazilian health official advised women to postpone getting pregnant because of the Zika outbreak. Several other Latin American countries have since issued similar warnings. El Salvador went so far as to advise women not to get pregnant until 2018 because of Zika. In countries where sexual violence is rampant and access to birth control and sex education lags, that leaves many women with few options, the United Nations has warned. | In December, a high-ranking Brazilian health official advised women to postpone getting pregnant because of the Zika outbreak. Several other Latin American countries have since issued similar warnings. El Salvador went so far as to advise women not to get pregnant until 2018 because of Zika. In countries where sexual violence is rampant and access to birth control and sex education lags, that leaves many women with few options, the United Nations has warned. |