More than half of young women in Brazil are forgoing pregnancy due to the ongoing Zika epidemic, a new study finds.
Since the outbreak began in Brazil, there have been 1,845 confirmed cases of birth defects tied to the mosquito-borne virus. Many involve microcephaly, a malformation where babies are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains.
The new study was led by Debora Diniz, a professor at the University of Brasilia. Her team surveyed more than 2,000 Brazilian women, aged 18 to 39, in June of this year.
The result: 56 percent of the women said they had either avoided or tried to prevent a pregnancy because of the epidemic.
Twenty-seven percent of the women said they had not tried to avoid pregnancy, while another 16 percent said they had not planned to get pregnant -- regardless of whether Zika was a threat or not.
"The results provide an important first glimpse into how the Zika epidemic has shaped pregnancy intentions among women in Brazil," Diniz's team wrote.

The study suggests that "the Brazilian government must place reproductive health concerns at the center of its response, including reviewing its continued criminalization of abortion," the researchers added.
In the United States, officials at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have so far tallied 32 cases of Zika-linked birth defects in babies in the United States.
Most of those cases resulted from infections picked up in Zika-prone countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, the CDC noted.
As of Dec. 7, a total of 1,172 Zika infections in the United States have involved pregnant women, according to CDC estimates.
In research published Dec. 14, CDC scientists estimated that 6 percent of infected pregnant women will have babies who are born with Zika-linked birth defects, with the first and second trimesters being the most vulnerable period for infection. Their findings were reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The CDC urges people living in Zika-infested areas-- especially pregnant women -- to take steps to protect themselves from mosquito bites. This includes using an insect repellent registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency containing one of the following ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone.
People should also wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, use or repair screens on windows and doors, use air conditioning when available, and remove standing water inside and outside where mosquitoes can lay eggs.
The Brazilian study was published online Dec. 22 in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care.

What we know

• Zika virus can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus.
• Infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects
• Zika primarily spreads through infected mosquitoes. You can also get Zika through sex.
• There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat Zika.

What we do not know

• If there’s a safe time during your pregnancy to travel to an area with Zika. 
• How likely it is that Zika infection will affect your pregnancy. 
• If your baby will have birth defects if you are infected while pregnant.

Zika & Pregnancy in Puerto Rico

Right now, Zika is spreading rapidly in Puerto Rico and pregnant women are at risk for becoming infected with Zika. If current trends continue, at least 1 in 4 people, including women who become pregnant, may become infected with Zika. Since Zika causes microcephaly and other birth defects, it is more important than ever to consider if now is the right time for you to get pregnant. If you decide that now isn’t the right time for you to have a baby, there are contraceptive methods that are safe and effective. If you decide to get pregnant, there are important steps you should take to try to protect yourself from getting Zika.

• PREGNANT WOMEN

  Learn how to protect yourself and your pregnancy from Zika.

• TRYING TO BECOME PREGNANT?

  Talk to your doctor or other healthcare provider to plan for a healthy and safe pregnancy.

• Preventing Pregnancy

  If you decide that now is not the right time to have a baby, talk to your doctor or other healthcare provider.

• Microcephaly & Other Birth Defects

  Zika infection during pregnancy can cause a birth defect called microcephaly, as well as other severe fetal brain defects.

• Pregnancy Outcomes

  Outcomes of pregnancies with laboratory evidence of possible Zika virus infection in the United States.

If you have questions about a possible infection or diagnosis

If families would like to speak to someone about a possible Zika virus infection or diagnosis during pregnancy and risk to the baby, please contact MotherToBaby. MotherToBaby experts are available to answer questions in English or Spanish by phone or chat. The free and confidential service is available Monday-Friday 8am-5pm (local time). To reach MotherToBaby:

• Call 1-866-626-6847
• Chat live or send an email through the MotherToBaby website