Legalizing abortion for Zika infected pregnant women raises controversy in Brazil

As doctors suspect a possible correlation between the Zika virus and Neurodevelopmental Disorder, discussion about legalizing abortion for Zika-infected pregnant women has caused widespread controversy in Brazil. Brazil has seen 5,909 reported cases of neurodevelopmental disorder in newborns as of Feb. 27. Babies who are diagnosed with the disorder will suffer from permanent brain damage, raising great concern amongst pregnant women. According to Brazilian laws, abortions are illegal and only permitted if a pregnant woman is the victim of rape or faces the threat of loss of life during childbirth. Around 60 percent of questionnaire participants disagree with the idea of Zika-related abortion, but some other 30 percent voiced their support, according to "Folha de Sao Paulo", Brazil's most circulated newspaper. Scientists are still trying to confirm the correlation between the disorder and the virus. Researches have so far shown that the virus will affect the development of the nervous system of newborns.