Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Zika is an STD: Why are we not calling it one?
By Kelly McBride Folkers, Arthur L. Caplan, and Lee Igel
Updated 11:04 PM ET, Sun September 11, 2016
...
(CNN)...
At the moment, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends testing for pregnant women at risk of Zika transmission, people who exhibit symptoms of being infected with Zika, and people who have had sex with a partner who might have been exposed to the virus.
The CDC explicitly states that men, women who are not pregnant and children who are not symptomatic do not need to be tested. That, however, is not the best way to manage Zika.
...
If men can be carriers of Zika, why aren't they being recommended for testing in active Zika zones, too? Despite the fact that Zika is becoming a public health crisis for the general population, pregnant women and their doctors are being asked to bear the burden of preventing its spread...
...
No matter the epidemic, there are always a limited amount of medical resources to go around. Tough decisions have to be made and those who are most affected by Zika surely ought to get attention first. But Zika is an STD, one that can be passed on to partners and developing infants just like HIV, chlamydia and syphilis.
All who might carry it should know their carrier status. State, local and federal agencies need to push testing availability and coverage. Battling mosquitoes is only part of the response that Zika demands.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/11/opinions/zika-should-be-called-an-std/
By Kelly McBride Folkers, Arthur L. Caplan, and Lee Igel
Updated 11:04 PM ET, Sun September 11, 2016
...
(CNN)...
At the moment, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends testing for pregnant women at risk of Zika transmission, people who exhibit symptoms of being infected with Zika, and people who have had sex with a partner who might have been exposed to the virus.
The CDC explicitly states that men, women who are not pregnant and children who are not symptomatic do not need to be tested. That, however, is not the best way to manage Zika.
...
If men can be carriers of Zika, why aren't they being recommended for testing in active Zika zones, too? Despite the fact that Zika is becoming a public health crisis for the general population, pregnant women and their doctors are being asked to bear the burden of preventing its spread...
...
No matter the epidemic, there are always a limited amount of medical resources to go around. Tough decisions have to be made and those who are most affected by Zika surely ought to get attention first. But Zika is an STD, one that can be passed on to partners and developing infants just like HIV, chlamydia and syphilis.
All who might carry it should know their carrier status. State, local and federal agencies need to push testing availability and coverage. Battling mosquitoes is only part of the response that Zika demands.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/11/opinions/zika-should-be-called-an-std/