Single Sunrise presenter Samantha Armytage has lashed out at claims she is "desperate" for a child but confirmed she may not travel abroad with her colleagues for pre-Olympic coverage due to the high risks involved with the Zika virus.
"Like many female journos of a certain age contemplating Rio, Zika is a huge worry for me. And it's not like I'm running the 100 metres or even hosting the opening ceremony," she said. "Sunrise would simply be at Copacabana Beach the week before the Olympics start."
The 39-year-old has offered to instead "spend that week hosting the rest of the day's news from our Sydney studio" while David Koch, Natalie Barr and Edwina Bartholomew broadcast from overseas.
A proposal management at Seven is reportedly supportive of.
"If I was lucky enough to have a baby in the next few years, I would never forgive myself if something went wrong, that was totally avoidable," she said. "All doctors admit, they simply don't know enough about Zika yet."
Pregnant, or women trying to fall pregnant, are being warned by local and international authorities to avoid Brazil due to the mosquito-borne disease that causes birth defects. The World Health Organisation has also said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults.
Updated medical advice suggests women should avoid conception until eight weeks after contracting or coming in contact with the virus.
