07/15/2016
Important Zika update: Precautions Extended to Female Partners of Pregnant Women
In a news release, the CDC updated some of its advice on avoiding the Zika virus via s*x. The agency reiterated its past recommendations that all pregnant women use barrier methods during s*x or abstain from s*x if they have a partner who has traveled to an area with active Zika transmission, or who resides there. In light of the New York City case reported in MMWR, however, the CDC is now applying these recommendation to female s*x partners of pregnant women, even though no cases of woman-to-woman Zika transmission have been reported.
The CDC said it is updating its recommendations for s*xually active couples who are not pregnant, or who are concerned about pregnancy, and people "who want to reduce personal risk of Zika infection through s*x."
The Zika virus can cause serious birth defects, most notably microcephaly, characterized by unusually small head size and possibly severe developmental problems. As of today, the CDC has identified nine infants with birth defects as well as six lost pregnancies with birth defects in the United States where there is laboratory evidence of a possible Zika infection.
