On September 30, 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated recommendations regarding Zika virus for couples trying to conceive:
- Women who have had possible Zika virus exposure through travel or sexual contact should wait at least 8 weeks from symptom onset (if symptomatic) or last possible exposure (if asymptomatic) to attempt conception.
- Men with possible Zika virus exposure, regardless of symptom status, should wait at least 6 months from symptom onset (if symptomatic) or last possible exposure (if asymptomatic) before attempting conception.
The CDC previously recommended that men with possible Zika exposure, who were asymptomatic, wait at least 8 weeks from last possible exposure. The new recommendation to wait at least 6 months for asymptomatic men is based on the absence of definitive data that the risk of sexual transmission differs between symptomatic and asymptomatic men.
The physicians at Reproductive Partners recommend that couples trying to conceive speak with their physicians prior to planning any travel to an area where Zika virus transmission has been reported.