Zika virus: Restricting pregnancy is discriminatory

Don't restrict women's access to sexual and reproductive health services in contravention of international standards, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Al Hussien, warned last week in New York.

The UN is averse to the advice to women to delay getting pregnant due to the possible link between the rampaging Zika virus and neurological disorders affecting newborns.

It says upholding women’s human rights was essential if the response to the Zika health emergency would be effective.

Telling women to delay getting pregnant ignores the reality that many women and girls simply cannot exercise control over when they become pregnant, especially in environments where sexual violence is so common.

For instance, in situations where sexual violence is rampant and sexual and reproductive health services are unavailable, efforts to halt Zika crisis will not be enhanced by stopping women from getting pregnant.

The UN says amid the continuing spread of the virus, authorities must ensure that their public health responses were pursued in conformity with human health-related rights obligations.

It wants governments ensure that women, men and adolescents have access to comprehensive and Health services must be delivered in a way that ensures the woman’s informed consent, respect for her dignity and the guarantee of her privacy.

`Laws and policies that restrict her access to these services must be urgently reviewed in line with human rights obligations in order to ensure the right to health for all in practice.