What Happened to the Zika Virus? It’s still around and just as dangerous…
The Zika virus epidemic peaked in 2016, fortunately there are less cases each year since. However, it’s still around and it’s dangerous consequences in pregnancy: miscarriage, microcephaly, and still birth, are still very real. Unfortunately, over 80% of Zika virus infection cause no noticeable symptoms in women. Though there are tests for both blood and urine, they are not as accurate as we’d like. So there’s a concern around false-negative and false-positive results.
So, what to do?
Every woman who is planning on getting pregnant in the next 6 months or is already pregnancy, needs to think about the Zika virus before traveling.
- Check the CDC World map before planning a trip. We do not recommend traveling to any Zika-endemic areas during or in the 2 months before pregnancy—this includes 2 counties within the US as well.
- If travel to a Zika endemic area occurs, avoid pregnancy for 8 weeks.
- For pregnant women traveling to a Zika endemic area, discuss with us your trip BEFORE going so we can review safety precautions to help avoid contracting the virus. Let us know AFTER your trip as well so we can determine if you need testing.
- For MEN who travel to a Zika endemic area, there is concern for sexual transmission of Zika virus through semen for up to 6 months, even in the absence of any symptoms. If you and your partner are planning pregnancy, wait for 6 months after travel before trying to conceive. If your partner is pregnant, use condoms for the duration of the pregnancy.
For more information, the CDC and ACOG are great resources for the latest information on the Zika virus.
El Camino Women’s Medical Group offers the latest Minimally Invasive Solutions for gynecologic problems. Drs. Amy Teng, Erika Balassiano, and Pooja Gupta, all members of AAGL (American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopy) are highly trained and experienced in the field of Minimally Invasive Gynecgologic Surgery. Dr. Erika Balassiano is also a graduate of the Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Fellowship at Stanford University, under the supervision of world-renowned Dr. Camran Nezhat.
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