The rising number of Zika virus infection, which is being suspected to cause mental deformities among babies, should not be used to justify more abortions.
This was the call made by 24-year-old Brazilian journalist Ana Carolina Caceres, who has this rare condition called microcephaly, to her government and the whole world, amid fears that mothers in nations stricken by the Zika virus would choose to just kill their unborn children.
In her blog post published by BBC News, Caceres told how she managed to live her life and survive this rare mental deformity, despite the fact that doctors warned her parents when she was born that she would not be able to work or talk.
"I grew up, went to school, went to university. Today I am a journalist and I write a blog. I chose journalism to give a voice to people like me, who do not feel represented. I wanted to be a spokesperson for microcephaly," the Brazilian journalist shared.
While admitting that life was "hard" for her and her family because of the financial costs of addressing her condition, Caceres said the rising cases of Zika virus infections should not be used as reason to legally allow abortion in some nations.
She said she feels "offended and attacked" when certain groups propose abortion for babies born with microcephaly. She also said that the solution to the microcephaly problem is not killing infants but finding a proper scientific treatment for it.
"I believe that abortion is a short-sighted attempt to tackle the problem. The most important thing is access to treatment: counselling for parents and older sufferers, and physiotherapy and neurological treatment for those born with microcephaly," Caceres said.
"If there are still parents who choose to abort, I cannot say anything. I think the choice is theirs. But they need to make that decision knowing all the facts," she added.
The Brazilian journalist also criticised some officials, including her country's health ministers who said that the Zika virus infection will lead to a "damaged generation" due to microcephaly.
"With the spike of microcephaly cases in Brazil, the need for information is more important than ever. People need to put their prejudices aside and learn about this syndrome," she said.
