Zika and fertility| Advice from Dr Randy Morris MD-The BOARD CERTIFIED fertility expert

You may have heard a lot on the news recently about #Zika infections and the risk to a pregnant woman. Today on #Infertility TV, I will tell you a little bit about Zika. Stay tuned to the end for my special recommendations for couples who are trying to become pregnant.

What is Zika?

Zika is an infection caused by the Zika virus, which is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected #mosquito. However, and this is very important, Zika can also be spread from one person to another through sexual contact. Sexual contact includes vaginal, anal, and oral sex, and the sharing of sex toys. Scientists do not yet know if it can be spread by kissing. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent Zika infection and there is no treatment for people who are infected with Zika.

The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten. Zika can be contracted with a single mosquito bite.

According to the CDC, people usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected. Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections, that is, they are immune.

A Zika #pregnancy can result in miscarriage and severe birth defects. Zika can cause the fetal brain to not develop properly. This brain damage results in the head being smaller than normal and is called #microcephaly. Zika is also a cause for poor fetal growth and stillbirth.

It is not yet known if Zika can affect your ability to get pregnant. Studies in mice, found that the virus can attack the cells that produce sperm and testosterone in males causing a lowering of both.

The main thing you should try to do is avoid getting pregnant if there is a possibility that you have a Zika infection.

Women should avoid trying to #conceive for at least 8 weeks even if they have just visited an area where the Zika virus is being transmitted by mosquitoes. This is recommended even if you don’t have any symptoms. You should also wait 8 weeks if you had sexual contact with a man who has been possibly exposed to Zika.

Men should wait at least 6 months before trying to conceive a baby with their partner. If their partner is pregnant, then they should abstain from having intercourse for the duration of the pregnancy.



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