Family Planning in the Age of Zika

When my youngest daughter told me that she wasn’t sure she should go to St. Martin because she was worried about Zika, I was taken aback.  She’s not married and she’s not planning on starting a family anytime soon, but still she was worried about how long the Zika virus might stay in her system. 

After meeting with her doctor, she was relieved to hear that getting bitten now will not harm her future (2 or more years out) baby.  Phew!  I was proud of her for checking into this before her trip and for making smart choices.  Family planning in the age of Zika — like our twenty- and thirty-somethings don’t have enough to worry about!

Young couples who live Brazil and the Caribbean are having to make some tough decisions about having children.  Women who are nearing the end of their reproductive years are especially stressed out because they may not have time to wait out this virus.  Some have resorted to freezing eggs and embryos.  Others are getting pregnant but moving abroad during the pregnancy. 

Either way, it’s an expensive problem and many solutions are solely for the “haves” but not the “have nots.”