RECIFE, Brazil, Feb. 20 — On the frontline of Brazil’s fight against Zika, Vandson Holanda sends Roman Catholic volunteers into the poorest areas of this city, showing residents how to protect themselves against mosquitoes that carry the virus linked to birth defects. Getting rid of trash where water accumulates and allows the mosquitoes to lay eggs is primary. Wearing plenty of repellent and clothing that covers arms and legs should not be forgotten. Closing shower drains so the insects cannot find pooled water inside your home is equally important But there are no lessons offered on methods to avoid getting pregnant, which Brazilian officials and international public health experts have urged women to do until the Zika epidemic is under control. The crisis is putting pressure on Church doctrine that bans all forms of contraception, and has even stoked a debate over abortion in many conservative Latin American nations. The [...]
