The World Health Organization (WHO) today recommended the practice of safe sex or abstinence for eight weeks, after visiting countries affected by the Zika virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today recommended the practice of safe sex or abstinence for eight weeks, after visiting countries affected by the Zika virus.
If the man has had symptoms of the disease, the couples who reside or travel to these territories should postpone pregnancy for about six months because the virus survives longer in semen, said the UN agency in a statement.
They stressed that sexual transmission is the second major way of infection and highlighted how important it was to follow these suggestions to prevent complications during pregnancy or birth defects.
They also warned that in case of a pregnancy under these conditions, women should have urgent access to emergency contraception services and guidance by the specialized personnel.
Health authorities of the territories with prevalence of the disease were urged to properly inform men and women of reproductive age and to guide them in the possibility of postponing pregnancy.
Because of the Zika virus, cases of children born with microcephaly have increased in Brazil and neurological disorders have also increased in that and other Latin American nations.
Source: PL