Interim Guidance Provided for Men With Possible Zika Infection

TUESDAY, Aug. 21, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Interim guidance recommends that men with possible Zika virus infection wait three months before trying to conceive or engaging in unprotected sex, according to research published in the Aug. 10 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Kara D. Polen, M.P.H., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues updated interim guidance for men with possible Zika virus exposure who are planning to conceive with their partner or who want to prevent sexual transmission of Zika virus.

The researchers recommend that before engaging in unprotected sex, men with possible Zika virus exposure who are planning to conceive with their partner wait for three months or more after onset of symptoms (if symptomatic) or their last possible exposure to Zika virus (if asymptomatic). For couples who are not trying to conceive, to minimize the risk for sexual transmission of Zika virus, men can consider using condoms or abstaining from sex for at least three months after onset of symptoms (if symptomatic) or their last possible exposure to Zika virus (if asymptomatic). There is no change in any other guidance, and there is no change in the definition of possible virus exposure, which includes travel to or residence in an area with risk for Zika virus transmission.

“CDC will continue to update recommendations as new information becomes available,” the authors write.

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