ROME, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Pope Francis suggested Thursday contraceptives could be used to prevent transmission of the Zika virus, which is possibly linked to rare birth defects, despite the church's stance against most kinds of birth control.
The pope, answering questions on a flight from Mexico to Rome, said contraception could be the "lesser of two evils" for women concerned with contracting the mosquito-borne illness that may be associated with a rise in microcephaly, especially in Central and South America.