Discuss your interpretation of the right to health. Explain how policies that affect a women’s sexual and reproductive health may be impacted by the introduction of a virus. Discuss the policies that countries impacted by Zika have developed around women’s sexual and reproductive health.
Discuss your interpretation of the right to health. Explain how policies that affect a women’s sexual and reproductive health may be impacted by the introduction of a virus. Discuss the policies that countries impacted by Zika have developed around women’s sexual and reproductive health.
Topic 4 DQ 2
Assessment Description
Global health initiatives are often pivotal in the advancement of human rights. When addressing global public health issues, international organizations have a responsibility to develop policies and practices that support marginalized groups’ basic human rights. Policies that affect a woman’s reproductive and sexual health can be contradictory of the basic human right if it challenges the moral imperative of creating conditions that allow women to decide freely and responsibly on the number, spacing, and timing of their children or the ethical obligation to ensure equitable access to contraceptive options and safe reproductive service. This can become increasingly more of an issue when conditions arise that affect a woman and her unborn child, such as Zika virus.
Discuss your interpretation of the right to health. Explain how policies that affect a women’s sexual and reproductive health may be impacted by the introduction of a virus. Discuss the policies that countries impacted by Zika have developed around women’s sexual and reproductive health. Do any of these policies violate a woman’s right to health? Discuss if the global public health threat of Zika is severe enough to limit sexual and reproductive rights and freedoms. Conversely, is the threat of Zika-associated fetal anomalies sufficient to change existing restrictive laws and policies?
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Impact of Introduction of a Virus on Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Policies
The introduction of a virus, especially a sexually transmitted virus, can have adverse implications on women’s sexual and reproductive health. There may also be an increased risk of vertical mother-to-child transmission and adverse pregnancy outcomes for expectant women. During most public health outbreaks and epidemics, the focus is normally on measures to reduce health-related effects with minimal attention to sexual and reproductive health rights (Forero‐Martínez et al., 2020). Strategies to mitigate the spread of a virus should also address these rights. Vector control policies are not sufficient and additional policies that address sexual and reproductive health should be implemented. This includes access to contraception especially barrier methods such as condoms. This does not only offer protection to the women but also the unborn children. In cases of late diagnosis with birth defects already apparent, safe abortions should be available. This will reduce the incidence of adverse fetal effects as well as maternal mortality from unsafe abortions.
Policies Developed by Countries Impacted by Zika Around Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health
Zika virus is vector-borne by mosquitoes and also sexually transmitted. The infection by this virus has led to public health emergencies and epidemics in some countries. Measures that have been put in place to minimize its spread include vector destruction and fumigation of breeding grounds, attempts to develop effective vaccines, diagnostics, and genetically modified mosquitos, and discouragement of pregnancy by women of reproductive age (Wenham et al., 2019). The provision of contraceptives was heightened as a means to prevent pregnancy during these epidemics. Consistent condom use and abstinence were also encouraged during pregnancy. This policy only partially met women’s sexual and reproductive health rights. This is because abortions are illegal and criminalized in most of the affected states. No policies were implemented to address abortions, especially for women who were already exposed to possible Zika -linked birth defects in their newborns. The lack of access to these services violates women’s right to health.
The Severity of the Global Public Health Threat of Zika and its Implications on the Limitation of Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Freedoms
Infection by the Zika virus is by itself not life-threatening. The infection presents with mild symptoms such as maculoapular rash, headache, low-grade fever, and headache among others. The devastating indirect health outcomes include stillbirths, spontaneous abortions, and Zika-Associated fetal anomalies. The threat of these adverse health outcomes is severe and necessitates policies that direct prevention strategies. These strategies should not, however, cause limitations to the sexual and reproductive health rights and freedoms of women. The measures implemented should be fully in conformity with the rights to reproductive health including the provision of contraceptive and abortion services. If illegal, considerations to amend these laws should be made.
Zika-Associated Fetal Anomalies
Children born to mothers infected with the Zika virus are at risk of developing congenital Zika syndrome. The commonly encountered presentations of this syndrome include microcephaly, parenchymal and cerebellar calcifications, ventriculomegaly, central nervous system hypoplasia or atrophy, arthrogryposis, ophthalmic abnormalities, disturbance of visual functions, and small for gestational age weight (Freitaset al., 2020). This presents increased health burdens in managing the various abnormalities associated with the syndrome. The occurrence is also devastating to the family. For this reason, the occurrence of Zika-Associates fetal anomalies is reason enough to change the existing restrictive laws and policies regarding women’s sexual and reproductive health. This will play a fundamental role in the incidence of fetal anomalies.
References
Bonati, M., Tognoni, G., & Sereni, F. (2021). Inequalities in the universal right to health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(6), 2844. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18062844
Forero‐Martínez, L. J., Murad, R., Calderón‐Jaramillo, M., & Rivillas‐García, J. C. (2020). Zika and women’s sexual and Reproductive Health: Critical First Steps to understand the role of gender in the Colombian epidemic. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 148(S2), 15–19. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.13043
Freitas, D. A., Souza-Santos, R., Carvalho, L. M., Barros, W. B., Neves, L. M., Brasil, P., & Wakimoto, M. D. (2020). Congenital Zika Syndrome: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 15(12). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0242367
Hussain, A., Ali, F., Latiwesh, O. B., & Hussain, S. (2018). A comprehensive review of the manifestations and pathogenesis of Zika virus in neonates and adults. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.3290
Wenham, C., Arevalo, A., Coast, E., Corrêa, S., Cuellar, K., Leone, T., & Valongueiro, S. (2019). Zika, abortion and health emergencies: A review of contemporary debates. Globalization and Health, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-019-0489-3