Zika and Pregnant

I (Rachel Ferguson) am not currently pregnant, nor do I have Zika (I don’t think I do, but 3 out of 4 people with Zika don’t show symptoms). This is a more serious Five Minutes of Fergie, as we answer the question, “What are some of the hard decisions you have to make as missionaries?” It also is longer than 5 minutes, as there is a lot to share.

(Below is the script of the vlog above)

April 2015 Caid and I got Zika, I was 7 months pregnant

May 2015 Zika articles and explainations started coming out

December 2015 Microcephaly and Zika connection started coming out

January 2016 People started to ask us about Zika as soon as they realized we lived in Brazil

February 2016 I wrote how Eating Bad Street Food is Worse than Zika: (LINK #1) http://fiveminutesoffergie.blogspot.com.br/2016/02/eating-bad-street-food-was-worse-than.html

April 2016 The link with Microephaly and Zika is confirmed:  (LINK #2) http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/s0413-zika-microcephaly.html

May 2016 Caid and I decided it was best for us to try to get pregnant in the USA

June 2016 Jeff and Lindsay Turner did an amazing podcast about Zika (with me too): (LINK #3) https://soundcloud.com/missionariesincars/zika-missionaries-in-cars

END RESULT: Zika is more like a mild flu, so wear bug spray and don’t worry about it. Unless you are pregnant. This has an awesome infographic: (LINK #4) http://ernursescare.blogspot.com.br/2016/04/zika-virus-what-do-you-know-about-it.html

So what if you are/wanting to get pregnant?

1. This is an issue for those in the USA too: (LINK #5) http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zika-virus-outbreak/cdc-reports-279-pregnant-women-zika-u-s-n577541. Before you get freaked out, realize almost half those women are from the Puerto Rico area. Most of them didn’t know they had Zika until they were (blood) tested. Less than 12 of those almost 300 women had any effects (miscarriage or evidence of birth defect). And if you live relatively north-ish in the USA, you are probably fine: (LINK #6) http://nypost.com/2016/01/30/you-shouldnt-freak-over-the-zika-virus-heres-why/  But still—it makes you stop and listen, doesn’t it?

2. Before we start talking about the billions of dollars we are spending to fight Zika—let’s put it into perspective: Malaria is 1,400 times worse. LITERALLY. This year, 200,000 unborn babies will die in sub-Saharan Africa because their mothers (10,000 of which will die) get Malaria while pregnant (Since last year, 139 unborn babies have died from Zika/Microcephaly): (LINK #7) https://blog.usaid.gov/2016/04/as-the-world-focuses-on-zika-malaria-continues-its-deadly-toll/THIS IS INSANE! Why don’t we hear of this? Because it doesn’t affect us. And the worst part? Malaria is TREATABLE (whereas Zika is not. Yet). 

3. What is the actual risk of a baby getting Microcephaly (or other adverse effects including miscarriage) if she has Zika while pregnant? There is a 1 in 13 chance of getting Microcephaly, says: (LINK #8) http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/05/if-a-pregnant-woman-gets-zika-whats-the-risk-of-microcephaly-for-the-baby/484481/. Ok. Once I heard that, I have to admit I started freaking out. To me, that is a huge risk.

4. The Atlantic seems like a viable source to me, but let’s look at other numbers before getting stuck on the 1/13 one. According to National Geographic, (LINK #9) http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/03/160307-zika-virus-microcephaly-brazil-science/ Over 4,000 cases of Microcephaly are being studied, but only 641 Microcephaly cases have been confirmed since May of 2016. Of those, 139 have ended in death from Microcephaly complications. There is no way to know how many pregnant women actually had Zika, but considering most of them didn’t even KNOW they had Zika (3 out of 4 don’t show symptoms), those numbers seem small(er) than 1/13.

5.  If you are in Zika infected areas, what is a woman to do? Not get pregnant, says WHO: (LINK #10) http://abcnews.go.com/Health/zika-virus-pregnancy-dilemmas-outbreak-areas-due-birth/story?id=39752424 But this is not advice most woman can or will take. In Brazil, pregnancy has gone on as usual with the people we work with and love. And I notice it takes two to tango, but nothing is being said about MEN in their role of pregnancy: (LINK #11) http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2016/feb/17/three-letter-word-missing-zika-warnings-men

6.  If you are a missionary in Brazil, and your biological clock is ticking, what do you do? There are no articles on the internet about it. I already googled it. WHO says to get out of Zika infected areas, wait 8 weeks (as long as I don’t test positive for Zika—then I have to wait 6 months), and then have a baby.(LINK#12)  http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6512e2.htm  And probably never return to Brazil for good measure, until you hit menopause. 

7.  As missionaries, Caid and I feel conflicted about how to balance our privilege (having an option to return to the USA, whereas our friends don’t) the risk (Zika is a viable risk to pregnancy),  trusting God (we gave Him our lives, and He called us to Brazil), and responsibility (we want to honor our families and those who support us financially) in our decisions.

8. Here are Caid’s thoughts (him on video, unscripted)

9. Here are Rachel’s thoughts:  At first, I thought it was wrong for us to use our privilege to return to the USA to get pregnant. After all, didn’t we trust God? Didn’t He call us here? And what does that say to all the women we work with who don’t have that opportunity? But then we were advised by people we respect and honor to wait on getting pregnant while serving in Brazil. So we put that dream on hold. But I began to wonder about using the time we would already be in the USA on furlough (home assignment) as a time to try to get pregnant: thus alleviating the very real risk and worries of our family

10. The plan: We will be in the USA December 2016 and will be trying to get pregnant. If we do, I will stay in the USA during the first trimester, when the risk is the greatest: (LINK #13) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/05/25/for-zika-infected-pregnancies-microcephaly-risk-may-be-as-high-as-13-percent/ , and then return to Brazil to serve and have the baby in Brazil. Yes, there is still risk: (LINK #14) http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zika-virus-outbreak/study-finds-zika-damages-babies-all-stages-pregnancy-n532086, and yes, we live at the VERY CENTER of the worst outbreak of Zika/Microcephaly in the world, but we will take all precautions (mosquito net, bug repellant) available. We are open to God’s voice to changing these plans, and we do not know what may be discovered by then, but we are taking one step at a time. Yes, this is scary. And sharing it with you is extremely vulnerable. But we need your prayers and support. And we want you to know some of the real issues that missionaries go through—and sometimes, there doesn’t seem to be any clear answers. Other missionaries in the same place as us may come to different conclusions: we are not saying this is the right, only way: we are simply letting you know what is happening in our lives, step by step.