# El Salvador Urges Against Pregnancies Until 2018 as Zika Virus Spreads **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 24, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060 "2016-01-24T04:14:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/1 "2016-01-24T04:14:50Z")
This Zika virus could spread all over the world. It may not be killing people now but could turn really bad like HIV. > [@](#): > > El Salvador on Thursday urged women in the Central American nation to avoid getting pregnant until 2018 to avoid their children developing birth defects from the **mosquito-borne Zika virus** which has rampaged through the Americas. > **[El Salvador Urges against Pregnancies until 2018 as Zika Virus Spreads](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/)** > > More than 5,000 people have tested positive for the mosquito-borne illness in the country including suspected cases among 96 pregnant women ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/2 "2016-01-24T04:17:23Z")
Since I don’t see a question here, let’s move this to MPSIMS. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/3 "2016-01-24T04:28:22Z")
Other very scary thing is if you have symptoms and go to your family doctor or the hospital they will not know what to test for because Zika virus is very new. No tools or diagnosis device for the Zika virus. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/4 "2016-01-24T04:33:19Z")
“Everybody please just stop reproducing for a couple of years till we get this sorted out!” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/5 "2016-01-24T04:34:18Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > This Zika virus could spread all over the world. That seems unlikely. From Wikipedia, “In humans, it causes a mild illness known as Zika fever, Zika, or Zika disease, which since the 1950s has been known to occur within a narrow equatorial belt from Africa to Asia.” ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/6 "2016-01-24T04:51:15Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > This Zika virus could spread all over the world. \*\*It may not be killing people now \*\*but could turn really bad like HIV. > > [El Salvador Urges against Pregnancies until 2018 as Zika Virus Spreads | Scientific American](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/) It may not be directly killing them, but babies born w/ microencephaly will not have much hope for long lives. It’s already happening in countries neighboring El Salvador. Likewise, complications from m/c and even the most healthy pregnancies can kill the mother. Abortion in all circumstances is illegal in El Salvador, which is overwhelmingly Catholic, so women had better be careful to avoid getting raped THAT much more during the fertile days of their cycle. Miscarriage can be prosecuted there as well if it cannot be proved the m/c was not induced by some means, accidental or intentional. Or alternately, move to another country or hide inside till the virus is eliminated entirely. ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/7 "2016-01-24T09:20:00Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > It may not be directly killing them, but babies born w/ microencephaly will not have much hope for long lives. It’s already happening in countries neighboring El Salvador. Likewise, complications from m/c and even the most healthy pregnancies can kill the mother. > Abortion in all circumstances is illegal in El Salvador, which is overwhelmingly Catholic, so women had better be careful to avoid getting raped THAT much more during the fertile days of their cycle. Miscarriage can be prosecuted there as well if it cannot be proved the m/c was not induced by some means, accidental or intentional. > Or alternately, move to another country or hide inside till the virus is eliminated entirely. How do they know this Zika Virus will only be around for two years? It may never go away. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/8 "2016-01-24T10:49:04Z")
They may be hoping that by the time two years have passed most of the population will have had a mild form of the disease and will therefore be immune. Assuming a woman who has had the disease can not become ill with it if she later becomes pregnant. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/9 "2016-01-24T13:47:43Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > How do they know this Zika Virus will only be around for two years? It may never go away. There is still a lot to learn before a real strategy can be developed. A vaccine may be possible. Wide scale mosquito control may be an option. Pinpointing what stage of fetal development is most dangerous may help. We have some experience with mosquito borne illnesses, so we aren’t starting from scratch. But this is a public health disaster. The affected regions are huge, and until we understand what changed we aren’t going to be able to predict how much further it could spread. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/10 "2016-01-24T13:59:15Z")
It seems that about [51% of El Salvador is Roman Catholic](http://www.indexmundi.com/el_salvador/religions.html). I bet the bishops are going to throw a fit over this. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/11 "2016-01-24T15:05:27Z")
I’m preparing a big post on Zika, haven’t had the time yet. Gotta say, as a medical entomologist, this is like Christmas. Zika was this little stupid virus that had infected a few people over the years. Very understudied because no one really cared. Now this! We’re preparing a big shift into Zika work over the next couple of months. Going to be an interesting year. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/12 "2016-01-24T15:33:59Z")
> [@mozchron](#): > > I’m preparing a big post on Zika, haven’t had the time yet. > > Gotta say, as a medical entomologist, this is like Christmas. Zika was this little stupid virus that had infected a few people over the years. Very understudied because no one really cared. > > Now this! We’re preparing a big shift into Zika work over the next couple of months. Going to be an interesting year. Keep us posted! ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/13 "2016-01-24T18:38:08Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > It seems that about [51% of El Salvador is Roman Catholic](http://www.indexmundi.com/el_salvador/religions.html). > > I bet the bishops are going to throw a fit over this. It’s also got [one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the world,](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2014/09/twelve-facts-about-abortion-ban-el-salvador/) with no exceptions. Wonder how they would handle large numbers of documented birth defects **in utero.** ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/14 "2016-01-24T20:02:55Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > It’s also got [one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the world,](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2014/09/twelve-facts-about-abortion-ban-el-salvador/) with no exceptions. Wonder how they would handle large numbers of documented birth defects **in utero.** Also, what about contraception laws? Surely they won’t rely on the rhythm method. You know what they call women who do that?😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/15 "2016-01-24T20:06:37Z")
It may be pretty challenging for women to get access to birth control, and difficult to impossible for really devout women to use it even if they can get it. The tropics: where scary diseases are more prevalent and humans less able to cope with them. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/16 "2016-01-24T21:00:50Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Also, what about contraception laws? Surely they won’t rely on the rhythm method. You know what they call women who do that?😉 “Mom?” ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/17 "2016-01-24T22:37:00Z")
> [@Dr.Woo](#): > > It may be pretty challenging for women to get access to birth control, and difficult to impossible for really devout women to use it even if they can get it. > > The tropics: where scary diseases are more prevalent and humans less able to cope with them. So, women shouldn’t get pregnant but they aren’t allowed to use physical means of birth control. That sounds idiotic. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/18 "2016-01-24T23:29:52Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > So, women shouldn’t get pregnant but they aren’t allowed to use physical means of birth control. That sounds idiotic. And they shouldn’t get raped, either. Basically, potentially fertile females in El Salvador should leave El Salvador. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/19 "2016-01-25T00:57:50Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > It’s also got [one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the world,](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2014/09/twelve-facts-about-abortion-ban-el-salvador/) with no exceptions. Wonder how they would handle large numbers of documented birth defects **in utero.** The women have the kids, knowing in advance they’ll have problems. What do you think they do? Yes, it’s a bad outcome but real life is crap like that sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060/20 "2016-01-25T01:41:01Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > It’s also got [one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the world,](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2014/09/twelve-facts-about-abortion-ban-el-salvador/) with no exceptions. Wonder how they would handle large numbers of documented birth defects **in utero.** How is that different than other countries that are anti-abortion? Unless it is a rape or the woman’s life is at risk it is illegal. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads/744060.md?page=2)