Zika and Sexual Transmission - Basics of Zika Virus and Sex (CDC, updated September 30, 2016)

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Zika and Sexual Transmission

Basics of Zika Virus and Sex




Additional Guidance

• UPDATE: Interim Guidance for Prevention of Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus
• QA for Healthcare Providers: Sexual Transmission of Zika

Transmission

• Zika can be passed through sex from a person who has Zika to his or her sex partners.
  • Sex includes vaginal, anal, oral sex, and the sharing of sex toys.
  • Sexual exposure includes sex without a condom with a person who traveled to or lives in an area with Zika.
• Zika can be passed through sex, even if the person does not have symptoms at the time.
  • It can be passed from a person with Zika before their symptoms start, while they have symptoms, and after their symptoms end.
  • It may also be passed by a person who has been infected with the virus but never develops symptoms.
• Studies are underway to find out how long Zika stays in the semen and vaginal fluids of people who have Zika, and how long it can be passed to sex partners. Current research shows that Zika can remain in semen longer than in other body fluids, including vaginal fluids, urine, and blood.

Prevention Basics

• Not having sex eliminates the risk of getting Zika from sex.
• Condoms can reduce the chance of getting Zika from sex.
  • Condoms include male and female condoms.
  • Dental dams (latex or polyurethane sheets) may also be used for certain types of oral sex (mouth to vagina or mouth to anus).
  • To be effective, condoms should be used from start to finish, every time during vaginal, anal, and oral sex and the sharing of sex toys.
• Not sharing sex toys may reduce the risk of spreading Zika to sex partners.

What CDC is Doing
CDC and other public health partners continue to study Zika virus and how it is spread and will share new information as it becomes available. This continuing research may help us find out:

• How long Zika can stay in genital fluids.
• How common it is for Zika to be passed during sex by a man or woman.
• If Zika passed to a pregnant woman during sex has a different risk for birth defects than Zika transmitted by a mosquito bite.

How to Prevent Sexual Transmission of Zika

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Others Concerned About the Sexual Transmission of Zika collapsed




Sexual Transmission and Testing

• Pregnant women with possible sexual exposure to Zika should be tested for Zika infection.
• CDC recommends Zika virus testing for people who may have been exposed to Zika through sex and who have Zika symptoms.
• Testing blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or urine is not recommended to determine how likely a person is to pass Zika virus through sex. Because Zika virus can remain in semen longer than blood, someone might have a negative blood test but a positive semen test. The results of the semen and vaginal fluid tests are difficult to interpret.
• As we learn more and as tests improve, these tests may become more helpful for determining a person?s risk of passing Zika through sex.

Additional Resources





Zika and Sex: Information for men who have pregnant partners and live in or recently traveled to areas with Zika

• English[PDF - 1 page]
• Spanish[PDF - 1 page]
• Portuguese[PDF - 1 page]

Zika and Sex: Information for pregnant women living in areas with Zika

• English[PDF - 1 page]
• Spanish[PDF - 1 page]
• Portuguese[PDF - 1 page]

Pregnant and living in an area with Zika?

• English[PDF - 2 pages]
• Spanish[PDF - 2 pages]
• Portuguese[PDF - 2 pages]

Pregnant? Read this before you travel

• English[PDF - 2 pages]
• Spanish[PDF - 2 pages]
• Portuguese[PDF - 2 pages]

Basics of Zika virus and sex

• English[PDF - 1 page]
• Spanish[PDF - 1 page]

Zika and Sexual Transmission: For People Whose Partner Traveled to an Area with Zika

• English[PDF - 1 page]
• Spanish[PDF - 1 page]
• Portuguese[PDF - 1 page]
• Creole[PDF - 1 page]

Zika and Sexual Transmission: For People Living in an Area with Zika

• English[PDF - 1 page]
• Spanish[PDF - 1 page]
• Portuguese[PDF - 1 page]

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asics of Zika Virus and SexPage last reviewed: September 30, 2016


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• Page last updated: September 30, 2016

http://www.cdc.gov/zika/transmission/sexual-transmission.html