Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Can I Ever Get Pregnant? And Other Questions About Zika Virus – NBCNews.com

Image: Pregnant Woman Consultation

Pregnant Woman. Media for Medical / UIG via Getty Images

What if I Get hold of infected now and wish to Get hold of pregnant in a couple of years? Is my pregnancy at risk?

There is no evidence backing that up. The physique clears the Zika virus eventually. There are some viruses that continue to be in the physique completely — herpes and the AIDS virus HIV, for example.

But Zika virus is one that the immune system eventually gets rid of. Several viruses are known to
cause birth defects if the mother is infected throughout pregnancy. Rubella, additionally referred to as German measles, is an example. However there was never ever any sort of evidence that women infected along with rubella prior to they got pregnant had a greater risk of birth defects in later years.

How long do I have actually towards wait prior to I Get hold of pregnant?

WHO advises that individuals wait 6 months towards attempt for a pregnancy if the male companion had symptoms of Zika, and
waiting eight weeks if either companion has actually been in a place where Zika virus infection is possible. If a woman is pregnant and her male companion could possibly have actually been infected, they ought to usage a condom or abstain from sex for the whole pregnancy.

“Zika virus can easily continue to be in semen longer compared to in blood, However we don’t understand precisely Exactly how long Zika stays in semen,” the CDC advises. There’s a report of one man That had Zika virus in his semen much more compared to two months after he showed symptoms of infection. Because half of the pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, CDC additionally advises utilizing a condom or abstaining from sex for two months if there’s a possibility a man has actually been infected along with Zika.

What if I’m pregnant now and Get hold of bitten by a mosquito?

Not all of mosquitoes carry Zika, also in the locations where the virus is actively spreading. It’s the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes that carry the virus, and among them has actually towards have actually bitten a person who’s infected — and also then, it takes a couple of days for the virus towards build up sufficient in the mosquito’s physique for the insect towards transmit the virus towards a person else.

So unless you are in a place where Zika is spreading, it’s not time towards panic. Women in Zika zones have to take the strongest precautions, but and that entails utilizing repellents such as DEET, covering up, and remaining inside as a lot as possible. Women That come to be infected do have to observe a doctor without delay and Get hold of frequently tested and then
have their pregnancy carefully monitored. There is no known means towards protect a creating fetus from Zika infection, However doctors do understand that not every woman That gets infected throughout pregnancy goes on towards have actually a baby along with birth defects.

The CDC expects some regional outbreaks of Zika in the states where the Aedes mosquitoes are common, However nil love the epidemics in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

If my baby is born normal, are we in the clear?

No one can easily say yet. The a lot of obvious and horrifying birth defect known towards be caused by Zika infection is microcephaly. The child’s head is smaller sized compared to typical due to the fact that the mind itself is badly damaged. Doctors are now starting towards report subtler birth defects in babies born towards women who’d been infected. They consist of eye abnormalities, hearing defects and others mind damage. Some birth defects do not come to be apparent for years. The CDC is sustaining a registry of all of U.S. women That are pregnant and infected along with Zika. So far, they’re watching 279 in the 50 states and the territories.