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Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex and Zika (but Were Afraid to Ask)

So, Zika is sexy now? No, not exactly. But there is increasing evidence that the mosquito-borne Zika virus can be transmitted via sexual contact between people if a male partner is infected. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new suggestions to prevent this. Wait, so is Zika sexually transmitted or mosquito-transmitted? Both. Specific species of mosquitoes can pick the virus up in blood if they bite an infected person. They can then drop it off in the next person they bite. The virus can multiply in the bloodstream but can also get into semen. For unknown reasons, it can be detected in that particular bodily fluid well after the initial infection subsides and can…

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 Study suggests risk of sexual transmission of Zika may dissipate quickly

When Zika infections flared throughout Latin America, there was enormous concern that men carrying the virus could transmit it to women through sex — potentially infecting developing fetuses, if the women were pregnant. But it was unclear how long the risk might last. A new study from scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not definitely answer the question, but it offers public health agencies data to assess — and suggests infected men might not shed the virus in their semen for as long as was once thought.

 Yes, Zika can spread through sex. No, it's probably not the next big STD

The Zika virus can be transmitted through sex, which is a bit chilling if you think about it: Not only can the virus pass through sexual partners but those encounters could, in theory, result in babies born with birth defects. It’s this fact that has people worried that Zika could become the devastating STD of the decade. An op-ed in the New York Times recently called Zika "the millennials’ STD." The virus was also recently compared to HIV, one of the biggest killer viruses of our time.

Articles of Interest

It's Official: Zika Is a Sexually Transmitted Infection

Public health experts now know that Zika can be passed in bodily fluids between one man and another, between a man and a woman, and from a woman to a man—and though no case has been made public, they assume it can be transmitted between female partners as well.

Sexual Transmission of Zika More Common Than Previously Believed

Meet Zika, the latest virus that turns out to be a sexually transmitted disease. The mosquito-borne pathogen is getting a little extra help from humans who are passing it among themselves via sexual contact. And it is happening a lot more often than scientists previously knew.

Zika Virus and Sexual Transmission: The Facts

While transmission through sexual contact may be very rare, that doesn't mean precautions shouldn't be taken. "If a pregnant woman is infected through sex, this would likely have the same risk as mosquito-acquired disease," says Sankar Swaminathan, MD, chief of the Division of Infection Diseases for University of Utah Health. "Also, it is possible that pregnancies that result from sex with an infected partner could be at risk for birth defects."

An Update on Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus

The sexually acquired infection is transmitted primarily from male to female by unprotected vaginal contact and ZIKV RNA has been isolated from semen, urine, vaginal fluid and cervical mucus.

Can Women Spread Zika Sexually, Too?

A new case study finds the virus in a woman’s genital tract, where it lived longer than in her blood.

CDC Suggests Protected Sex in New Zika Virus Guidelines

Pregnant women with male partners who have traveled to regions with virus should use condoms.

Could Zika Virus Be Sexually Transmitted?

So, it appears that while Zika's sexual transmission is a possibility, our greatest threat is still posed by mosquitoes.

Prevention of sexual transmission of Zika virus

The primary transmission route of Zika virus is via the Aedes mosquito. However, mounting evidence has shown that sexual transmission of Zika virus is possible and more common than previously assumed. This is of concern due to an association between Zika virus infection and adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes, including microcephaly, neurological complications and Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Sex is causing Zika to spread more than scientists first realized

"Zika is a sexually transmitted disease now — we need to start thinking of it that way."

Sexual Transmission Is Just the Latest Zika Surprise

And it’s now clear that Ebola remains in semen and can be transmitted for as long as six months after clear blood tests. Viruses similar to Zika, including dengue and West Nile, have been seen to linger in some bodily fluids—mostly urine—longer than in blood.

Sexual transmission of Zika virus and other flaviviruses: A living systematic review

Zika virus (ZIKV) can be transmitted between humans through sexual contact, although it is most commonly transmitted by infected Aedes spp. mosquitoes. Sexual transmission of ZIKV has important implications for public health, for people living in endemic regions, and for sexual partners of travellers returning to non-endemic regions from endemic regions because ZIKV infection during pregnancy can cause congenital infection of the foetus and because ZIKV infection can trigger the immune-mediated neurological condition Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Sexually acquired Zika virus: a systematic review

In summary, our review shows that ZIKV is potentially sexually transmitted either from symptomatic or asymptomatic infected individuals, that both genders can potentially transmit the virus, and that ZIKV shedding in the male genital tract can occur for a prolonged period after symptom onset.

So, Zika Virus Might Be Transmitted Through Oral Sex and Deep Kissing...

It seems like every week there’s another twist on how Zika virus is spread—and now there’s a new (and terrifying) one. According to a report, the virus may be transmitted by...oral sex and deep kissing.

The mosquito-borne Zika virus can also be transmitted by sexual activity

The potential for ZIKV to be passed on to sexual partners has been known for some time but little is known about the mechanism by which this occurs. A review of 18 clinical studies just accepted for publication in Clinical Microbiology and Infection confirms that ZIKV may be sexually transmitted by both males and females, and by those who are symptomatic or have no symptoms of their infection. Furthermore, the virus appears to remain present in the male genital tract for a prolonged period.

Why oral sex might be another way Zika can spread

The best evidence so far suggests infectious Zika virus can last in semen for at least 24 days after infection. (In the UK, researchers found non-infectious virus in a man's semen 62 days after he got sick.) So far, all reported cases of sexually transmitted Zika originated in a male partner who showed symptoms of the virus. (In most cases of Zika infection, people don't experience any symptoms.)

Zika via sex and blood: how worried should we be?

For a fairly non-descript virus, Zika continues to surprise us. Zika has hit the headlines yet again with the news that there’s been transmission in Brazil of two cases by blood transfusion. This is on top of the recent news about sexual transmission of the virus in the United States. Zika is a “vector-borne” virus – that is, it is transmitted by a vector, in this case a mosquito. In general, you need to get bitten by an infected mosquito before you can be infected by Zika. At least that’s what we thought.

Zika virus as a sexually transmitted pathogen

Zika virus has recently emerged from an obscure mosquito-borne pathogen to an international public health concern. It is the first viral agent newly demonstrated to cause birth defects in several decades, and it is the only arbovirus now known to be transmitted sexually. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of current understanding of sexual transmission of Zika virus and its possible clinical and public health consequences.

Zika Virus Can Be Sexually Transmitted: Here’s How to Protect Yourself

You need to use condoms. Be aware. If pregnancy occurs after [sexual contact with an exposed or infected person], the most important thing to do would be to tell a physician or health care provider that this is a pregnancy with someone who went to a Zika-endemic country.

Zika virus: sexual transmission more common than thought

Mosquito remains the main driver of transmission but sexual contact can also pass on the virus, according to the World Health Organisation

Resources

CDC

Zika virus can be sexually transmitted from a person who is infected, even if asymptomatic, to their sex partners. Using condoms or abstinence is recommended to protect sex partners concerned about Zika virus infection. Zika virus persists longer in semen than other bodily fluids.

WHO

These guidelines contain updated recommendations on the prevention of sexual transmission of Zika virus, based on the best available evidence as of June 2018.