This Country May Legalize Abortion to Deal With the Zika Outbreak

The South American country is one of the hardest hit by the virus, which appears to trigger a birth defect in newborns.

One Brazilian judge has said that he is willing to legalize abortion in case of serious birth defects in babies, and apparently, many intellectuals in the country agree with him.

Brazil has some of the strongest anti-abortion laws on the continent, and activists are hoping that this paves the way for the legalization of abortion in the country. Given that it’s difficult to learn about family planning and get medically accurate sex education in the country, women’s reproductive rights have been a point of contention in the past. It is unsure when a decision will be handed out if this becomes a case.

Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock.

By Gwendolyn Wu on February 5, 2016
Gwen, a San Fernando Valley native, will be a second year in the fall at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she plans to double major in history and sociology. When not reporting on student government, being a student activist, or advising incoming first-years, she enjoys food, watching Community and Mad Men, and traveling. Someday, she hopes to cover a political or education beat for the Los Angeles Times.