Zika virus not only made Latin American women wary of becoming pregnant, it also sparked a resurgence of an age-old debate: whether to or not to legalize abortion. Groups in different Latin American countries are calling for the loosening of restrictive abortion laws, but they are meeting some strong resistance.

The Washington Post reported that El Salvador, Colombia, Brazil, and other more Latin American countries are now rethinking their restrictive abortion laws. In El Salvador, the health minister claimed that it has become imperative for a revision of the law in light of the Zika virus outbreak.

The virus has a known relationship to microcephaly, a condition that can affect fetal development. Babies with microcephaly are born with abnormal head sizes and facial features. Because El Salvador is known for its very strict abortion laws, a call for revision is a sign that concerns over the virus have reached an alarming rate.

In Colombia, an organized movement has been formed to call for less strict abortion laws as well. The group has gained the attention and the support of the government. However, determined religious groups cannot be swayed. They are determined to counter any form of revision that might take place.

In Brazil, the same circumstances can be observed. While the government dilly-dally on whether restrictive abortion laws can be revised, doctors claimed that the number of illegal abortions being performed is now on the rise.

With the Zika virus now labeled as a global health crisis by the World Health Organization, UN Health officials are urging the affected Latin Americans to decide faster and act more swiftly over the issue of abortion.

Aggravating the problem is the lack of contraceptives in the Latin American countries. Even if Latin American governments claimed that pregnancy should be postponed up until the cure for the virus has been found, women have limited access to contraceptives because church authorities in the heavily Roman Catholic region are not likely to give their consent on their use.

Outside Latin America, the urgency to fight Zika virus is also felt. The Obama Administration is taking the matter very seriously. ABC News reported that it has asked for $1.8 billion in emergency funding from Congress so that the fight against Zika virus can be mobilized more effectively. President Obama also said that Americans should not panic over the outbreak but at the same time, take it seriously as well.

Here is an in-depth discussion of what zika virus is: