The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued interim guidelines for the prevention of sexual transmission of Zika virus, which is of particular concern during pregnancy. The following recommendations apply to men who reside or have traveled to areas with active Zika virus transmission and their sex partners.

• Men who reside in or have traveled to an area of active Zika virus transmission who have a pregnant partner should abstain from sexual activity or consistently and correctly use condoms during sex for the duration of the pregnancy.

• Pregnant women should discuss their male partner’s potential exposures to mosquitoes and history of Zika-like illness with their health care provider; providers can consult CDC’s guidelines for evaluation and testing of pregnant women.

• Men who reside in or have traveled to an area of active Zika virus transmission who are concerned about sexual transmission of Zika virus might consider abstaining from sexual activity or using condoms consistently and correctly during sex with their nonpregnant sex partners. Couples considering this personal decision should take several factors into account. Most infections are asymptomatic, and when illness does occur, it is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week; severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon. The risk for acquiring vector-borne Zika virus in areas of active transmission depends on the duration and extent of exposure to infected mosquitoes and the steps taken to prevent mosquito bites. After infection, Zika virus might persist in semen when it is no longer detectable in blood.

Citation: Oster AM, Brooks JT, Stryker JE, et al. Interim guidelines for prevention of sexual transmission of Zika virus – United States, 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:1–2. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6505e1er.